The Cavs trade that almost sent Lonzo Ball to Brooklyn
The The Brooklyn Nets’ decision to waive Cam Thomas instead of trading him they surprised many NBA fans. However, the rebuilding team had discussions with other teams about potential trades before cutting its leading scorer from the last two seasons.
Among those teams was Cleveland Cavaliers, who spoke briefly with exchange networks Lonzo Ball for Thomas, according to Mike Workunov of the Athletics.
“There were talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers about a deal that would have sent Lonzo Ball to Brooklyn, league sources said, but it didn’t go far and Thomas might not have stayed with the Cavaliers even if it had happened.”
The negotiations didn’t seem to gain any traction, and Cleveland ended up trading two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz to offload Ball’s $10 million expiring contract.
Cam Thomas hits the free agent market after trade talks fall through
Although Cleveland registered interest in Thomas, it’s not surprising that trade talks didn’t go far. The Nets would be looking for multiple second-round picks to take on Ball’s contract. In addition, they were probably hoping to get some form of compensation for Thomas.
Thomas also had a no-trade clausewhich he would have to give up in order for any deal to go through. The five-year guard will now have the option to search the free agent market for his next destination.
The Cavaliers will have the opportunity to bring in Thomas via the buyout market.
While his shortcomings as a defender and playmaker greatly limited his market, Thomas showed a high scoring ability during his Nets tenure. The 2021 first-round pick averaged 21.4 points on .434/.353/.860 shooting over the last three seasons.
2026-02-07 20:13:00
