The Brooklyn Nets shocked fans Thursday when they waived guard Cam Thomas.
On paper, Thomas provided value for the Nets. He averaged 20+ points per game in two seasons, including a career-high 24 a night last season.
But Brooklyn's defensive stats with Thomas this season were staggering. The Nets had a 122.7 defensive rating with him on the court, which ranks last in the league. Brooklyn had a 115.4 rating with Thomas on the bench, a significantly improved number that's closer to league average.
More: Knicks fan Ben Stiller has hilarious reaction to Jose Alvarado trade
Thomas has a 125.6 individual defensive rating this season, which ranks in the bottom 4% of eligible players.
The decision reflects a larger trend around the league. Teams are moving away from small, scoring guards who struggle defensively.
No player reflects this trend better than former Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, a four-time All-Star who's had a terrific career. The Hawks traded Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, a low return for the star guard.
The Memphis Grizzlies shopped Ja Morant for weeks and were unable to find a trade partner. Memphis was reportedly willing to include draft capital and take on bad contracts a deal, but no one was interested.
Teams are instead valuing positional size and shooting. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who boast the league's best record, are a great example of this. OKC has no one in their starting lineup under 6-foot-5. The shortest player in their rotation is Cason Wallace, who's one of the league's top defenders.
Players like Thomas have become difficult to hide on defense as offenses have advanced in recent years. It's a trend worth monitoring as teams build their rosters for deep playoff runs.
More NBA news: