The Brooklyn Nets' decision to waive Cam Thomas rather than trade him surprised many NBA fans. However, the rebuilding squad had conversations with other teams about potential trades before cutting their leading scorer from the last two seasons.
Among those teams was the Cleveland Cavaliers, who briefly spoke to the Nets about swapping Lonzo Ball for Thomas, according to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov.
“There had been talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a deal that would have sent Lonzo Ball to Brooklyn, league sources said, but that did not go far and Thomas might not have stayed with the Cavaliers even if it had happened.”
The talks did not appear to gain any traction, with Cleveland eventually trading two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz to offload Ball's $10 million expiring contract.
Cam Thomas hitting free agent market after trade talks fall through
While Cleveland registered interest in Thomas, it's not surprising that trade talks didn't go far. The Nets would have been seeking multiple second-round picks to take on Ball's contract. In addition, they were likely hoping to receive some form of draft compensation for Thomas.
Thomas also had a no-trade clause, which he would have needed to waive for any deal to go through. The fifth-year guard will now have the ability to canvass the free agent market for his next destination.
The Cavaliers will have an opportunity to bring Thomas in via the buyout market.
While his shortcomings as a defender and playmaker have greatly limited his market, Thomas flashed high-level scoring ability throughout his Nets tenure. The 2021 first-round pick averaged 21.4 points on .434/.353/.860 shooting splits over the last three seasons.
