The Brooklyn Nets came close to finding a suitor for the now waived Cam Thomas. Including nearly getting a past prized first rounder.
The Brooklyn Nets officially will play their first game without Cam Thomas on Saturday afternoon.
Turns out Thomas nearly got swapped with a past top five NBA Draft pick.
The Nets opted to waive Thomas after failing to land a trade partner. Nets insider for The Athletic Mike Vorkunov, however, revealed this bombshell detail after Brooklyn couldn't find a trade partner.
"The Nets looked but did not find a suitable offer. 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," Vorkunov wrote.
That's right -- the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft nearly landed with Brooklyn. The Nets, in return, would've landed a new facilitator and scorer next to Michael Porter Jr. and the plethora of rookie talent filling the rest of the roster.
"Ball was shuttled off to Utah for cap relief. Instead, Thomas now hits free agency to find a new team and his next chance for long-term security," Vorkunov wrote. "A downside to betting is that, often enough, you lose. That’s what happened to Thomas this season."
The insider dove further into the deteriorating relationship between Brooklyn and Thomas.
"His plight is in part a referendum on restricted free agency and on him. Restricted free agency has gotten harder," Vorkunov explained. "Teams are more cautious about every dollar now under the current bargaining agreement and reluctant to dole out contracts to players they are unsure of."
The once second-leading scorer on the Nets even joined this group.
"Thomas was not the only one to face cool markets last summer: Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey and Quentin Grimes did as well," Vorkunov said. "Kuminga just got traded after his prolonged stalemate with the Warriors. Thomas chose to remain in Brooklyn because it gave him an aspect of self-determination."
The writing ultimately was on the wall for the 24-year-old.
"It became clear that Thomas was not a core part of the organization’s future, even as it could have found utility in his offensive skill," Vorkunov said. "Michael Porter Jr. has had a breakout year in Brooklyn and quickly became the offensive focal point for the Nets. Egor Demin has lodged a spot in the starting lineup as a rookie. Injuries have bottled Thomas up, too.
Vorkunov concluded with: "His shooting numbers have regressed — his effective field goal percentage is the lowest of his career, and his scoring has dropped into the teens."
Now the Los Angeles Lakers are looking into Thomas according to Dan Woike of The Athletic.
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