After signing with the Milwaukee Bucks on February 8, 2026, following his release from the Brooklyn Nets, Cam Thomas was unexpectedly waived on Monday, March 23. Despite the high-scoring guard’s offensive potential, the franchise decided to move in a different direction. When asked about Thomas’s declining role and the subsequent release, head coach Doc Rivers kept his explanation brief.
“There were things that we don’t need to talk about, right?” Rivers told reporters before Monday’s game against the Clippers. “As a coach, you have to make decisions on what’s the best thing for the team at that time. People don’t understand that. They start talking about other stuff, you know? And that’s not for anyone to know”.
The primary roster motivation for the move was to convert forward Pete Nance from a two-way contract to a standard multi-year NBA deal. Nance has emerged as a reliable rotation piece, averaging 4.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.1 minutes across 37 games this season.
While Nance’s efficiency earned him the promotion, the timing remains surprising to some, given that Thomas averaged 10.7 points in his 18-game stint with the Bucks.
Cam Thomas during a game with the Bucks. (Getty Images)
From ‘Sixth Man’ praise to the waiver wire
The breakup marks a sharp turn from the optimism that surrounded Thomas’s arrival in Milwaukee. In just his second game with the team, the shooting guard exploded for 34 points off the bench in a 116–108 win over the Orlando Magic—tying a franchise record for points by a reserve.
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At the time, Rivers drew comparisons between Thomas and some of the greatest bench scorers in NBA history. “I’ve had Jamal Crawford. I had Lou Williams… and now, I have Cam Thomas,” Rivers famously stated. However, that “Sixth Man” vision quickly faded as Thomas’s minutes fluctuated, eventually leading to being waved.
Postseason limbo for Thomas
Now a free agent, the 24-year-old player faces a difficult path forward. Because he was waived after the March 1 deadline, NBA collective bargaining rules dictate that he is ineligible to appear on a playoff roster this spring.
While Thomas can still sign with a new team to play the final 10 games of the regular season, he will be unable to contribute to any postseason run. It appears the 2025-26 campaign has effectively come to an early end for the former Nets star as he shifts his focus toward summer free agency.
