Bucks waive Cam Thomas, promote Pete Nance

The Bucks have waived guard Cam Thomas, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The move was later confirmed by the team.

Thomas’ release comes as part of a roster shuffle, with Milwaukee promoting Pete Nance to a multiyear standard contract.

It’s a notable development given Thomas’ scoring ability, and he’s expected to draw interest as he hits the open market.

It’s a bit of a surprising turn, especially considering Milwaukee went after Thomas right after the trade deadline. Then again, he was on a minimum deal for the rest of the season, so this may simply come down to fit and future plans.

According to Charania, general manager Jon Horst sold Thomas on being part of the Bucks’ present and future, while coach Doc Rivers even compared him to former Sixth Man of the Year winners he’s coached, including Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams.

Things never quite clicked that way.

Thomas saw a reduced role in Milwaukee, averaging 16.6 minutes compared to 24.3 with Brooklyn, and he picked up a pair of DNP-CDs last week.

There’s at least a chance he was open to a change, especially after previously asking the Nets for his release.

In 18 games with the Bucks, Thomas averaged 10.6 points while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 27.5 percent from three. The scoring flashes were there. The overall fit, less so.