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Cam Thomas’ agent reveals reason for Bucks’ decision to waive former Nets guard
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- Cam Thomas’ agent reveals reason for Bucks’ decision to waive former Nets guard
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The Milwaukee Bucks stunned many NBA fans with their decision to waive Cam Thomas just six weeks after signing him. After being waived by the Brooklyn Nets at the trade deadline, Thomas got off to a hot start with the Bucks. However, he fell out of Doc Rivers' rotation and was later cut, allowing Milwaukee to convert two-way guard Pete Nance to a standard deal.
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Thomas' agent, Tony Ronzone of Wasserman, recently explained the Bucks' decision to cut the young guard.
"[The Bucks] were trying to get into the playoffs. They started out pretty good, and now they're out of it. So that's probably more of a decision on their part just to pull up a two-way guy," Ronzone told Mo Mooncey on The Hoop Genius Podcast. "There's only 13 games left. At the end of the day, the first few years Cam started out in Brooklyn, he was unbelievable. He's still unbelievable now. He walked into Milwaukee out of the gate. In his second game, he went for 35 points in 23 minutes. He's a walking bucket. He's a great kid. I think any NBA team's gotta be looking at him. He's just a kid that you can put on the floor and you know what you're gonna get. I think that's the hardest thing to find these days. Either if he's a defensive stopper, a rebounder, or a guy who can get you buckets. And Cam can do a little bit of everything. I think his time will come soon in the right situation."
The Nets offered Thomas a two-year, $15 million contract featuring a team option this summer. However, he opted to sign his one-year, $6 million team option, giving him a no-trade clause before he hits unrestricted free agency this summer.
Cam Thomas searching for new home after surprise Bucks dismissal
© Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Nets cut Thomas after failing to find a trade for him at the deadline. Thomas scored 34 points off the bench in his second game with the Bucks. Following the performance, Doc Rivers compared him to several of his former score-first guards who served in sixth-man roles.
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"I've had Jamal Crawford . I had Lou Williams . And now, I have Cam Thomas," Rivers said.
Yet, Thomas saw his role diminish over the last several weeks. He averaged 7.7 points and 1.3 assists on 36.0 percent shooting in 15.2 minutes per game over his last 13 appearances with the team. He logged several DNP-CDs across the Bucks' final few games before being let go.
Thomas' defense continued to leave much to be desired during his Bucks stint. He posted a +14.2 defensive rating swing (team points allowed per 100 possessions with a player on the court vs. off) with Milwaukee, the worst mark among all guards to play over 280 minutes this season, per CleaningTheGlass.
"We ran out of bodies, and at the end of the day, there were guys you had to make a decision on," Rivers said of the Bucks' decision to waive Thomas. "I thought Cam was really good overall, and he may be somebody we revisit. Just where we're at right now, you know, not really in the hunt as when we signed him, we thought it was the right thing to do for the rest of the guys right now."
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Because he was waived after March 1st, Thomas would not be eligible for the postseason if he signs with another team.
