The Indiana Pacers are a team that could benefit from taking a low-risk chance on free agent scorer Cam Thomas. Their recent form, including a 121-133 loss to the Detroit Pistons on April 12, 2026, highlights a need for more offensive creation, especially off the bench. Thomas, 24, remains unsigned after a tough season split between the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, but his ability to generate his own shot could be valuable for a Pacers squad looking to improve its 29th-ranked offensive rating from last season.
Indiana's offense stalled badly last year without Tyrese Haliburton. The team finished with a 110.9 offensive rating and a 19-63 record. While Haliburton's return is huge, the Pacers also lost another key creator when they traded Bennedict Mathurin to the Los Angeles Clippers. Mathurin was averaging 17.8 points and was a player who could attack one-on-one. That left a hole for a guard who can create something from nothing, which is exactly what Cam Thomas does best. A huge 60.3% of his made field goals last season were unassisted.
Thomas isn't a perfect player. His efficiency plummeted last season to 41.0% from the field and 31.0% from three-point range. He had a high 29.5% usage rate but finished with negative win shares. His defense has never been a strong point either. The Pacers wouldn't be signing him to be a star or a starter. They'd be bringing him in on a cheap, prove-it deal to provide instant offense in a controlled, bench role. A coach must be ready to pull him if the shot selection gets poor.
At his best, Thomas is a pure bucket-getter. You don't need to run complex plays for him. He can isolate and create a shot for himself, a skill that's always in demand. Just one season before his struggles, in a 25-game sample in 2023-24, he scored 1.13 points per isolation possession. That rate was better than stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Kyrie Irving, and Luka Doncic during that same period. That talent doesn't just disappear.
The problem last year was his shot diet. Over 56% of his attempts were pull-up jumpers, but he shot only 37.3% on those twos and 28.2% on pull-up threes. When a player demands the ball that much and isn't efficient, he needs to contribute in other ways. Thomas didn't. But in a defined role where he's not the first or second option, his scoring punch could be a real weapon. The Pacers' reserves averaged 41.5 points per game last season, and adding a spark like Thomas could help maintain that production.
Indiana's immediate context is a challenging stretch of games. Their recent form shows one win and four losses in their last five outings (LLWLL). After beating the Brooklyn Nets 123-94 on April 9, they dropped games to the Minnesota Timberwolves (104-124), the Philadelphia 76ers (94-105), and the Pistons. The team clearly needs more consistent scoring options alongside Haliburton to climb the standings.
Signing Thomas would be a classic low-cost, high-reward move. He's young enough to potentially rediscover his earlier form. The market for him has cooled significantly since he turned down a bigger deal last summer. For the Pacers, it's about adding depth without committing long-term money or a major role. They played at the eighth-fastest pace in the NBA last season. A player like Thomas, who can push the ball and score in transition or in early offense, could fit that style well if managed correctly. It's a specific gamble, but for a team that finished 29th in offense, it's one worth considering.
