"Faced with an unappealing market, he chose to take the Nets' qualifying offer and stay on a one-year, $6 million deal. Only a few months in, that decision has collapsed. Thomas was waived Thursday by the Nets, a league source confirmed, right after the trade deadline passed. There was not much of a market for Thomas, even though he is just 24 years old and has averaged 21.4 points in 115 games over the last three seasons."
"The Nets looked but did not find a suitable deal. 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 happened. 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."
"A downside to betting is that often enough, you lose. That's what happened to Thomas this season. Thomas' plight is in part a referendum on restricted free agency and on him. Restricted free agency has gotten harder. Teams are more precious about every dollar now under the current bargaining agreement and cautious to dole out contracts to players they are unsure of."
Cam Thomas, a 6-4 volume scorer for Brooklyn, accepted the Nets' one-year, $6 million qualifying offer despite an unappealing market. A few months later the Nets waived him right after the trade deadline, with little market interest despite his 21.4 points average across 115 games over three seasons. Talks with Cleveland that might have sent Lonzo Ball to Brooklyn did not materialize. Restricted free agency has become harder under the current bargaining agreement, with teams cautious about committing money to uncertain players. Thomas now enters free agency seeking a new team and long-term security.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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