When the Brooklyn Nets decided to waive Cam Thomas after the NBA trade deadline closed earlier in the month, it seemed like only a matter of time before the former first-round pick would wind up on a new team, and on Sunday evening, that became a reality.
As previously reported, Thomas agreed to join the Milwaukee Bucks, ending his short tenure on the free agency market.
While the Bucks may not be the hottest team in the Eastern Conference at the moment, sitting at the twelfth seed with a record of 21-29, this didn’t deter Thomas from joining them. As he explained to Marc J. Spears, his decision to join the two-time NBA champions came down to their previous interest in him.
"I picked Milwaukee because they wanted me and they told me they've been interested for years now,” Thomas explained to Spears. “So, it's good to have this opportunity come to fruition.”
Thomas had been the crown jewel of the Nets for quite some time, being the team’s go-to scoring option since the big three disbanded over the course of a few seasons, averaging 15.2 points on 43.5 percent shooting in his five-season stay at the Barclays Center.
It appears the 24-year-old isn’t spending much time dwelling on the past, as he explained to Spears that he is trying to get acclimated to his new team and get playing,” Thomas stated to Spears.
Given that the acquisition was announced on Sunday, the earliest Thomas could make his Bucks debut would be Monday, when they travel to the Kia Center for their first of two back-to-back matches against the Orlando Magic. If it isn’t to happen against the Magic on Monday night, then there are two more games for Milwaukee in which the 24-year-old could feature in before the NBA All-Star break.
When it happens, the debut will allow Thomas to have a clean slate, given the rough season he’s had, having to battle hamstring issues earlier on in the campaign. In the 24 games that he’s played in this year, the former Tiger is averaging 15.6 points and 3.1 assists.
Newsweek