Michael Porter Jr. says Cam Thomas needed more than scoring

Michael Porter Jr. said cam thomas found out the hard way that scoring alone was not enough to keep him on an NBA roster. The Nuggets forward pointed to Thomas’ exits from the Nets and Bucks as a case study in how much teams weigh communication, personality and leadership.

Porter on Cam Thomas

Porter said on The Road Trippin Podcast that there is a lot more to sticking around in the NBA than just scoring. He described Thomas as someone who did not really socialize, adding, “He'll say like two words all day, all practice. He doesn't really talk to anybody.”

He also said, “I don't think he does it in a way where he's trying to be a bad teammate. I just think that's him.” Porter added that Thomas may not have been willing to break out of his personality and be talkative and try to be a leader and bring guys together.

Brooklyn’s costly break

Thomas’ career with Brooklyn had already turned complicated before the wave of exits. Last summer, the Nets reportedly offered him a two-year, $30 million contract featuring a team option and a one-year, $9.5 million deal that required him to waive his no-trade clause, but he turned down both and signed his one-year, $6 million qualifying offer instead.

He averaged 21.4 points on.434/.353/.860 shooting splits over his last three seasons with the Nets, but he remained one of the NBA's worst defenders and showed little development as a playmaker after stepping into a featured role. After a hamstring injury, his third within the last year, he fell out of Brooklyn’s starting five.

Waived twice in two months

Brooklyn waived Thomas at the trade deadline after failing to move him. Shortly after being waived, he criticized the Nets for “not believing in anybody.”

He got another chance with the Bucks, but that stint lasted just six weeks before Milwaukee waived him. Porter said, “When he first got there, they were raving about him because he had a few good games,” and added, “Doc Rivers was complimenting him and everything.”

Now Thomas heads into unrestricted free agency trying to catch on with another team after being waived by Brooklyn and Milwaukee within two months last season. Porter summed up the talent level plainly: “But when it comes to being a basketball player and a talent, he's up there with the best of them.”