The Los Angeles Lakers did not put a major dent in their roster at the February 5 trade deadline. Yet, the organization’s name is swirling around the market. Latest reports say that Rob Pelinka & Co. are observing the buyout market. And in this, the former Brooklyn Nets guard, Cam Thomas, finds his name.

Facebook page, Basketball Rush recently shared: “🚨BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly signed Cam Thomas to a two-year deal.” However, this information is not true. Now, what could possibly be the basis of such viral claims?

Before Thursday’s deadline, the Lakers reshaped their roster by moving Gabe Vincent, along with a second-round pick, to the Hawks in exchange for Luke Kennard. With that deal finalized, league buzz now suggests Los Angeles is shifting its focus toward potential reinforcements through the buyout market, as reported by Dan Woike of The Athletic.

“Next will be evaluating a group of buyout candidates. Team and league sources say wing Haywood Highsmith is a player of interest, provided his knee issues are resolved,” Woike reported. “Cam Thomas, his former Nets teammate, is another more polarizing option.”

Meanwhile, the Nets waived Cam Thomas, thus ending his five-year stint with the organization. On the other hand, Haywood Highsmith met with the same fate as a part of the deal to bring Ochai Agbaji to the Raptors. Now, Thomas has averaged 15.6 points on 39.9% shooting and 32.5% from three. He has 3.1 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game.

Moreover, the 24-year-old spent roughly six weeks sidelined due to a left hamstring injury between November 7 and December 23. On returning, the team continued to carefully manage his playing time under a minutes cap.

At the same time, across the last two seasons, Cam Thomas delivered elite scoring production, posting 22.9 points while converting 44.1% overall and 35.9% from three. However, a left hamstring strain ended his campaign, restricting him to 25 appearances last season.

Now, hypothetically, say that the Lakers pick Cam Thomas, then what does he bring to the table?

What value does Cam Thomas add to the Lakers’ roster?

At 24, Cam Thomas has emerged as one of the NBA’s most polarizing scorers. A dynamic scorer at all ranges, the ex-LSU guard has delivered several explosive performances during his four-plus years with Brooklyn. This includes nine games crossing the 40-point mark.

However, teams have continued to view him in a limited role, which has kept broader market interest from growing. During his time with Brooklyn, Cam Thomas recorded 15.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. He simply reinforced his scoring strength while reflecting minimal creation for teammates. Moreover, injury interruptions impacted his continuity.

Last offseason, Thomas accepted a $5.9 million qualifying offer, signaling a personal bet on future value; however, the move ultimately generated no meaningful trade traction. Meanwhile, the New York Post’s Brian Lewis gave a tough assessment of the now-waived Nets guard. “Thomas’ poor playmaking, worse defense, and injury history combined to end his time with the Nets.”

The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov said that Cam Thomas “has always been a divisive player among opposing scouts and league executives.” Now, Thomas operates as a high possession guard with the ability to erupt offensively when required. However, defensive limitations have consistently surfaced, and Brooklyn recorded better on-court results with him active in only one season.

Furthermore, the Nets posted a 4-19 record when Thomas logged meaningful minutes, compared to 9-17 in his absence. Meanwhile, Los Angeles faces a major scoring gap, with the Lakers’ bench producing 28.0 points per game, the league’s lowest figure. Therefore, Thomas presents a compelling yet flawed offensive reinforcement option.

So, the rumors of the Los Angeles Lakers signing a two-year deal with Cam Thomas turned out ot be false. Yet, the idea doesn’t seem particularly bad. In fact, if LA wants to move past its scoring woes, then maybe the ex-Nets guard could be an interesting key.