Cam Thomas didn't mince words about his ugly breakup with the Brooklyn Nets. Waived by the Nets after they were unable to find a trade for him at the deadline, the newly signed Milwaukee Bucks guard said his problems with Brooklyn were “absolutely” about the team not believing in him.

Thomas took his criticisms a step further, questioning the Nets' belief in their other players.

“That’s just who they are. They don’t believe in nobody,” he told the New York Post.

Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez responded to Thomas' comments on Thursday.

“We wish Cam the best. We loved him while he was here. We hope that he does very well where he is,” Fernandez told ClutchPoints. “I don’t know if he has the right to speak about others. We’re happy with the guys we have here. I believe that everybody here can help us with what we have planned.”

Thomas turned in several historic scoring stretches early in his Nets tenure. However, the 2021 first-round pick never reached the heights many thought he would with Brooklyn.

Jordi Fernandez, Nets take high road after Cam Thomas bashes team

best Cam Thomas destinations after Nets waive him post-NBA trade deadline
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After he spent his first two seasons on the bench behind Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets offered Thomas a featured role in recent years. The 6-foot-3 guard flashed his scoring potential, averaging 21.4 points on .434/.353/.860 shooting splits over 115 appearances with Brooklyn the last three seasons.

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However, Thomas' questionable shot selection, limited playmaking, brutal defense and frequent injuries raised questions about his value.

Thomas has ranked in the bottom 10 among all guards (minimum 500 minutes) in assist-to-usage ratio and defensive rating swing (difference in points allowed per 100 possessions with a player on vs. off) in each of the last three seasons, per CleaningTheGlass.

Despite these shortcomings and his nonexistent free-agent market, the Nets offered Thomas a two-year, $30 million contract this summer featuring a team option. They also offered him a one-year, $9.5 million deal, which required him to waive his no-trade clause. He declined both, instead signing his one-year, $6 million qualifying offer and maintaining his no-trade clause.

Thomas has had an inauspicious start to his Bucks tenure. The 24-year-old has averaged 12.7 points and 1.7 assists on .420/.263/.878 shooting splits across 11 appearances. His +16.9 defensive rating swing during that span ranks dead-last among all NBA players.

Thomas will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Meanwhile, the Nets will look to take a step back towards the playoffs next season, without control of their 2027 first-round pick. Brooklyn will add a top draft selection to a roster that featured an NBA-record five rookie first-round picks this season.