4 NBA teams who should sign Cam Thomas despite playoff ineligibility

On Monday night, the Milwaukee Bucks surprisingly gave up on Cam Thomas after bringing him in following the trade deadline after Thomas had fallen out with the Brooklyn Nets. The Bucks waived Thomas on the 23rd of March, which means that he is ineligible to play in the postseason as he was waived after the March 1 Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline.

Nonetheless, Thomas is free to sign with any NBA team provided, of course, that those teams register interest in him. At this point, Thomas’ stock is at its nadir, and it will be alarming to other teams that the Bucks, a team that’s starved of talent, gave up on a player who averaged 24 points per game once upon a time.

But of course, just because Thomas did not meet expectations in Milwaukee, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a future in the NBA anymore. He just has to land on a team with a solid infrastructure and some patient teaching that can allow him to be the best version of himself.

Thomas’ ability to score the basketball is evident, as there is no such thing as lucking into 3,822 career points across 257 games (88 starts). But he is facing a crossroads in his career, and choosing his next team, if he even gets a choice, will be crucial in determining whether he can latch on as a microwave scoring piece in the NBA and pick up where he left off during the 2023-24 season or if he’s bound to spend a few years overseas.

Here are a few teams that make some sense as a potential destination for Thomas.

4. Sacramento Kings

In terms of strict on-court fit, this is not a good destination at all for Thomas. The Kings still have a litany of guards, and the last thing they need is to further clog the roster and make their logjam at those positions worse. Moreover, the Kings are already a tough watch, and Thomas’ brand of basketball may not be the easiest to integrate into a team that’s already in disarray.

The Kings also have Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan still active, and Thomas is not going to be good enough to warrant getting touches from those players.

But the Kings haven’t exactly paid much attention to building a team that fits together, and perhaps they become the latest team that takes the plunge on Thomas to try and get his career back on track.

Sacramento can give him the opportunity to score to his heart’s content. Will it result in beautiful basketball? Not even close. Will it be hilarious to see the Kings try and give it a go? Absolutely.

3. Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers have been ravaged by the injury bug towards the end of the 2025-26 season, and it has led to their fall in the NBA standings. Somehow, they are still in seventh place in the East, however, which means that they are within striking distance of an outright playoff spot even with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid on the mend.

The good news is that the 76ers likely have Paul George coming back next game. The bad news is that it’s not quite clear when Maxey would be back. Another piece of bad news is that Philly is missing Jared McCain so dearly, as their guard depth has gotten so bad amid injuries to the point where they had to bring Cameron Payne and have him play heavy minutes.

While Thomas may not end up helping the 76ers in their eventual postseason push, he could at least help them earn the sixth seed in the conference. Philly is just starving for a shot-creator of Thomas’ caliber, and he would make VJ Edgecombe’s life that much easier amid the team’s shorthandedness.

2. Miami Heat

The Heat are in the middle of a rough five-game losing streak, and the last thing the team needs is to undergo a major change and bring Thomas in — another high-usage player. They are struggling to find balance at the moment, as they have had to utilize 2026 NBA All-Star Norman Powell off the bench.

But Heat Culture is famous for developing unheralded players and turning them into winning contributors. They helped Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Caleb Martin, all of whom were part of their 2023 NBA Finals squad, earn millions upon millions of dollars when every other team in the NBA weren’t sold on their ability to contribute.

The thing Thomas needs the most is structure, and the Heat organization should help provide that for him.

Signing Thomas doesn’t mean that he has to play anyway; Miami could simply bring him in, have him train with the team and absorb the team’s system, and prepare him for next season if they like what they see from the 24-year-old guard.

1. Indiana Pacers

With the departure of Bennedict Mathurin via the Ivica Zubac trade, there might be an opening on the Pacers bench for a microwave scorer of Thomas’ ilk. The problem is that Thomas is two inches smaller than Mathurin, and he is not even in the same level as a rebounder and defender as the Los Angeles Clippers guard.

But Thomas is a certified bucket-getter, and head coach Rick Carlisle has had success in the past with diminutive guards who can get points in bunches. Monta Ellis thrived under Carlisle. Trey Burke and Yogi Ferrell played some of their best basketball with Carlisle at the helm.

Thomas just hasn’t gotten a legitimate mentor for his career. The Nets gave up on him quickly, as they did not want to give him a huge contract this past offseason. The Bucks pivoted, giving his roster spot to Pete Nance, a wing who fits the team more easily.

Carlisle knows his way with guards with Thomas’ play style, and Indiana, at least to end the 2025-26 season, can give him an opportunity to prove if he can fit with what the team is building. The Pacers are under no pressure to win this season anyway, so they can simply hand over the keys to Thomas as an audition for whether or not he would have a role on the team next season.

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