Cam Thomas
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Cam Thomas during a game against the Atlanta Hawks in October 2024
After adding Luke Kennard at the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers appeared well-positioned to add more firepower through the buyout market.
Several notable names became available following buyouts, including Mike Conley Jr., Lonzo Ball, and Haywood Highsmith, all of whom were viewed as potential fits in Los Angeles.
Instead, general manager Rob Pelinka bypassed external options altogether. He chose to promote from within, signing G League standout Kobe Bufkin to a two-year NBA contract.
The decision raised eyebrows among Lakers fans, particularly with more established names available. Still, it may ultimately prove to be the right call.
Lakers Bypassed A Scoring-Heavy Buyout Option
One of the more surprising players to hit the buyout market was Cam Thomas, following his release from the Brooklyn Nets.
ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report the decision, noting that “the Nets made the decision to allow Thomas to find a new home,” after prolonged uncertainty surrounding his long-term role with the franchise.
Since entering the league in the 2021-22 season, Thomas has appeared in 240 NBA games, making 88 starts. He has averaged 15.1 points per game over that span.
He is also just one season removed from averaging 24.0 points per game. At only 24-years-old, Thomas stood out as the most accomplished pure scorer on the buyout market.
Thomas has since signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. However, Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk believes the Lakers were better off avoiding the high-scoring guard.
“The NBA has quickly moved away from scoring guards who bring little to no value to their teams apart from that one defining aspect of their game,” Rovenchuk wrote. “On the surface, Thomas has posted some impressive counting stats in his career. It’s the way those buckets are generated that ultimately just helps no one.”
“Thomas is a black hole on offense. It’s easy to point to two seasons of him averaging 20-plus points per game in 2023-24 and 2024-25. It’s also just as simple to identify how bad the Nets were on offense during both of those years. Luckily, they did not go the Cam Thomas route.”
Why The Lakers Looked Internally Instead
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has expressed skepticism about the buyout market, suggesting it was never a particularly viable path for roster upgrades.
“There’s a lot of factors that go into the buyout market, I’ll just be frank,” Redick said, via The Orange County Register. “I mean, because I did this, you know, when I was working in media, it barely, very rarely, produces a player that impacts a team’s playoff chances. It just, it very rarely does.”
Redick also pointed to health-related concerns surrounding several available players. Teams have been reportedly seeking access to Lonzo Ball’s medical information before committing, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Meanwhile, Haywood Highsmith, once viewed as a dependable 3-and-D option, remains a question mark after missing the entire season due to injury.
While G League production does not always translate seamlessly to the NBA, Bufkin has reached a point where he has clearly outgrown the South Bay Lakers and earned an extended opportunity at the top level.
He averaged a league-best 27.7 points per game while shooting 43.1% from three-point range across 14 regular-season contests. Along the way, he built a growing two-way reputation as one of the most NBA-ready prospects outside the league.
After returning to South Bay following the expiration of his initial 10-day deal that ran from January 13-23, Bufkin elevated his play even further.
Over his final three games, he scored 36, 41, and 29 points. He knocked down 18 three-pointers, dished out 16 assists, and added seven steals during that stretch.
In short, the Lakers chose internal growth. They committed to a 22-year-old they have tracked since the 2023 NBA Draft, one who carried first-round potential and has shown legitimate two-way upside, rather than taking on the uncertainty tied to external buyout options.