After going undrafted in the 2004 NBA draft, Helms had a short stint with Argentino de Junín of the Liga Nacional de Básquet before joining the Michigan Mayhem of the CBA who selected him as the 18th pick in that year's CBA Draft. After scoring 15 points in his debut for Michigan on November 19, Helms suffered a long-term injury the following game on November 20 and was ruled out for a month and a half, only to be re-activated by the club on January 6, 2005. He played a further 16 games for Michigan to round out the season, before joining the Nebraska Cranes of the United States Basketball League in May 2005. He managed just two games for Nebraska before leaving.