The Boston Celtics haven't missed much of a beat since they traded Anfernee Simons. Jayson Tatum's return helps in that regard, but after many questioned why they would send out someone who proved to be a good fit, it's clear that Boston knew what it was doing.
That being said, that doesn't mean the Celtics should avoid trying an experiment like that again. Before he became a Celtic, many wondered if he was truly an effective basketball player. While the fit was clunky at first, Simons figured it out, showing both how good he can be when working under the right people and just how good the Celtics' development staff is.
Now, the Celtics have the chance to get Simons' replacement in Cam Thomas.
There's a pretty strong case that they should steer clear of Thomas period. Making it even worse is that not only was he waived, but he waived twice, and by two of the 10 worst teams in the NBA: Brooklyn and Milwaukee.
Not to mention, even though there's skill overlap between Simons and Thomas, they're not the same player. Thomas is more inefficient and arguably has proven a lot less than Simons did before he became a Celtic.
However, the Celtics have done phenomenal work on just about everyone this season, as pretty much every player on the roster has taken a leap. Thomas is a very one-dimensional player whose one skill is useful, but it can be overshadowed by what he can't do.
Because Boston has had success transforming a player of a similar archetype into one of their bigger standouts, why not try the same on Thomas? As long as he costs pennies, he'd make sense as a buy-low candidate
This would be something Boston should look into next season
There'd be little reason to do this now because Thomas wouldn't be playoff eligible. All indications are that their last roster spot will belong to Ron Harper Jr., a spot that he absolutely deserves after the play he's had.
This is something Boston should consider during the offseason, for the obvious reason that Thomas, were he to work out, could play in the 2027 playoffs. Plus, there's no reason for Boston to mess with the continuity of their current squad when it's already as good as it is and they're trying to work Jayson Tatum back into game shape.
Boston has so many two-way players, plus their offense has already established itself as among the league's best. They haven't run out of ways to keep their opponents guessing, but with another pure scorer like Cam Thomas, if developed right, his presence could make them even tougher to stop.