The Los Angeles Lakers could still dip their hands into the free agency market as they look to fine-tune the roster ahead of the new season. The open market doesn’t offer many options at this stage of the offseason, but there are some intriguing names to explore.
The Lakers could use another frontcourt addition or fancy another contributing scorer. Cam Thomas has been loosely speculated as one of those names.
Thomas, 24, spent the 2025-26 season with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks but was waived twice. According to NBC Sports Kurt Helin, Thomas’ scoring has always been a part of his game but his efficiency is a wild card; he recorded below-league-average 3-point and true shooting percentages. Plus, Helin believes his play style and supposed approach in the locker room aren’t befitting to a winning enivronment.
“In short, he doesn’t contribute to winning basketball and, according to teammates, wasn’t popular in the locker room,” Helin wrote. “Which is why he’s still available (and was waived by both Brooklyn and Milwaukee last season).”
Thomas is not necessarily a need for the Lakers right now. However, for free, they could take a chance at added scoring depth.
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The situation with Thomas looks on the edge. He was first waived by Brooklyn shortly after the trade deadline. He was on a one-year qualifying offer of roughly $5.99 million, which he signed last summer after the two parties could not agree on a longer deal.
The Bucks took him for the remainder of the season but saw no need to retain him for next season. They had other roster and flexibility issues to sort out, and Thomas wasn’t part of that plan. He was a good utility piece in a rather disappointing season for the Bucks.
The locker room concerns are speculated to be there, but it isn’t that Thomas was trying to be a bad teammate. But no team has taken him this deep into the offseason despite his modest salary. That sequence of being waived doesn’t help his cause at all.
Taking a Shot On Thomas
The Lakers have shown this offseason that they aren’t shy of bringing in players. They have missed out on some targets but have added a number of players as well.
Thomas as an addition isn’t an immediate roster elevation piece. He has been a role player in the past few years and would likely have to lean into that role wherever he finds himself.
In Los Angeles, he could help maintain some level of offensive potency in minutes when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sit.
“However, for a team looking for a scoring punch off the bench, a guy who can go get a bucket, Thomas is available and can get one,” Helin added.
With training camp approaching, free agents like Thomas may begin to weigh other opportunities if NBA teams don’t come calling. Overseas in Europe or Asia is always a possibility, but a relatively young player like Thomas would feel he still has a role to play in the NBA.
Whether that falls with the Lakers remains to be seen. There is always a possibility that the Lakers make at least one more roster move before the new season tips off.
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