Jordy Fernandez talks about Brooklyn’s decision to waive Cam Thomas

The The Brooklyn Nets suddenly ended their tenuous partnership with Cam Thomas on Thursday, waiving the young guard. Jordi Fernandez was asked Saturday what prompted the organization to move on from its leading scorer from the previous two seasons.

“That’s probably a question for management, because my job is to coach the team on the floor,” the coach replied. “Obviously there’s communication between the board and the coaching staff, and we’re on the same page, but I’m not going to speak for Sean (Marks). When Cam was here, he was a part of us, he wore our jersey, he played hard and he competed. The only thing I can say is thank you for all the time he spent with us… I’ve told you before that I thought he was the type of player I always wanted to work with. Now it’s exciting for him to start somewhere else. We wish him luck and thanks for wearing our jersey.

Thomas’ stellar results were undeniable during his tenure with the Nets. However, his obvious limitations as a defender and playmaker limited his impact.

Despite his ability to score, Brooklyn has been better with Thomas off the floor in all but one of his five seasons.

Cam Thomas has given up on the Nets after five seasons

Thomas’ departure was foreshadowed since the offseason, when the Nets decided not to offer him a long-term contract. Brooklyn offered the 2021 first-round pick a two-year, $30 million contract with a team option. They also offered a one-year, $9.5 million contract, which would have required him to waive his no-trade clause.

Thomas declined and bet on himself, signing his $6 million qualifying offer, a decision that now looks like a mistake.

The Nets opened the season 0-7 with Thomas as the focal point of the offense. The 24-year-old injured his left hamstring for the fourth time in a year during the eighth game of the season. Brooklyn showed dramatic improvement during the guard’s absence, and his role was significantly reduced upon his return.

Thomas came from the bench over last 13 appearances, averaging 12.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 39.8 percent shooting from the field and 30.6 percent from three. After the Nets failed to find a matching offer before Thursday’s deadline, they waived him, opening up minutes for their four rookie guards.

Thomas will now explore the free agent market for his next destination.

“Super excited ready to really help and contribute to the other team,” he told ESPN Andscape’s Mark Spears. “My next team gets elite scoring, good playmaking and a good combo guard.