Speaking to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link) prior to Milwaukee’s lopsided loss to New York on Friday, Bucks guard Cam Thomas said his departure from the Nets was “absolutely” because the team didn’t believe in him. However, Thomas said that lack of belief wasn’t exclusive to him.
“That’s just who they are,” Thomas told The Post. “They don’t believe in nobody.”
After failing to find a suitable deal involving Thomas, the Nets waived him shortly after the trade deadline passed on February 5. He had a de facto no-trade clause after signing his $6MM qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer.
Thomas’ representatives preferred that outcome so he could pick his next team; he signed a minimum-salary deal that covers the rest of the season with Milwaukee a few days later.
Asked by Bondy why the Nets didn’t believe in him, Thomas said he was more focused on the present than the past.
“I never asked. I don’t even care anymore. I’m on a different team. I don’t want to talk about them much. But that’s what it was. They didn’t believe,” Thomas said. “Always thought — I don’t know. They always thought something was better, I guess. I don’t know. Always chasing something.”
According to Bondy, the former first-round pick said “nothing” came to mind when he was asked to reflect on his four-and-a-half years in Brooklyn.
As Bondy writes, Thomas’ Nets tenure was marked by a significant amount of roster turnover, which may explain his opinion that the team doesn’t believe in anybody. He also played for four different head coaches in Brooklyn.
Thomas, 24, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
understandable take. brooklyn doesnt seem like they have had much of a vision at the top even before the kd kyrie era
Actually, nobody believed in him. he’s always been a selfish player. The only thing that matters to him is me me me. money is his only motivator he never played defense, never even tried to fit into the team scheme, so that’s why they got rid of him. He Is the most selfish player in the NBA
He never played defense and never played or cared about a team concept s and you’ll see proof of that when he leaves the bucks for more money
Good Riddance
There’s a reason he was released he’s a bad influence on any team
the most selfish player in the NBA.
Take it he got the car in the divorce?
Nets in the forever poverty franchise group with the Wizards, Kings, and Pelicans
Supplemental poverty group: Hornets, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Wolves, Magic, Suns, Jazz
Also, lots of fail here, despite some being good teams right now: Nuggets, Raptors, Cavs, Mavs, Thunder/Sonics, Blazers, Hawks
Then there’s the Bulls, who have been hot garbage without MJ, but 6 rings with him. So…yeah. 1-man franchise
Celtics, Lakers, Warriors, Spurs are the GOATs of the league. The big 4. The teams who the league should be helping. The reason why we all watch.
“That’s just who they are,” Thomas told The Post. “They don’t believe in nobody.”
No son ……. Nobody believes in YOU. Go get a REAL job …..
Al, what is this? He might be a bad player but he’s 100% correct here. The team has to believe in its players, otherwise why even have them? Its the staff and their job to be professional and communicate things properly and make the players feel like they aren’t pieces of meat.
NBA behind the scenes has gotten really lazy from the coaches side of things. Nets staff probably says nothing to anyone ever. Half days.
Sounds like the Nets were right to cut him. He’s obviously learned nothing from what was supposed to be a humbling experience to get him to focus on the other aspects of his game. And trashing your previous employer is never a good look, particularly when said employer HAS been giving plenty of young guys a healthy dose of minutes. He just comes across as a fool here and teams will take note of it. He’s simply not a good enough player to get away with not buying into a team/system concept.
And Bondy continues to show why he’s a terrible writer. Absolutely no backbone here, saying it’s maybe because of all the roster turnover lol who are you kidding with that? Then again it’s the NYP so that kind of nonsensical logic might actually work.
I love this take, he’s right. The Nets are a grift, not a basketball team. Just rich upstate idiots throwing money at them behind the scenes with no actual plan or cohesion. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Nets were the ones behind the scenes pushing gambling on the NBA head office.