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Cam Thomas Rumors
The Brooklyn Nets are currently playing Summer League, but Cam Thomas’ future remains unresolved. The latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show on The Ringer shed some light on what is happening with the 23-year-old’s next contract. “The consensus on Cam Thomas — if there is one, and he's got some fans, and he's got some mega-detractors — but the consensus is kind of like empty calories, ball hog,” Lowe said in regards to Thomas’ perception around the league.
Marc Spears: I’m sure Jonathan Kuminga's in town um in Vegas supposed to meet with Steve Kerr and Mike Dunleavy Jr. and you know, try to figure it out and the Warriors hold all the cards. Yeah. Sad to say for Kuminga, man, he just has no power in this. It's a bad market for restricted free agents. Has Cam Thomas signed yet? No. Has Josh Giddy signed yet? Nope. It's just not a good market.
No market for Cam Thomas?
Jake Fischer: “Cam Thomas—no—does not really have a market, to my understanding. Josh Giddy also—I think people know what his price tag, he would like it to be. We've heard he wants $30 million as well. I don't see a widespread market for that on the open market right now too.”
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Michael Scotto: Sources: The Brooklyn Nets tendered Cam Thomas his one-year, $5.99 million qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent. Thomas averaged a career-high 24 points and 3.8 assists for Brooklyn this season.
Cam Thomas: 'I definitely, definitely want to be back in Brooklyn'
“I definitely, definitely want to be back in Brooklyn. It’s definitely home for me. Being drafted there you definitely build bonds with a lot of people there. so I definitely love it there,” he said. “But at the same time you have to do what’s best for you in the business aspects. So I have to play that by ear, but I definitely want to be back for sure. I definitely love Brooklyn.” That’s seven “definitely’s” and one “for sure.” if you’re counting. Pretty certain he wants to be back. Thomas said he’s leaving the business side of things to “my agency, my agents and the front office.”
Still, several sources have indicated he’s likely to command a deal as high as $100 million over four years, well in with first rank shooting guards at his age. Moreover, those same sources see Thomas signing as a priority for the Nets. Because of the Nets monopoly on cap space and the new CBA, the Nets aren’t likely to have much competition for him.
Free agency marks a new chapter for the 23-year-old. He’s expected to fetch a qualifying offer of approximately $5.9 million, and as a restricted free agent, the Nets can match any offer sheets he receives from other teams. “I know my value,” Thomas said. “I know what I’m worth around the league. It’s not really nothing for me to be intimidated or excited about because I know my value that I bring to a team… I definitely know I know my value and all my work. I think that’s all that matters to me.”
Thomas averaged a career-high 24 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game last season but was restricted to only 25 games. Also, his three-point (34.9%) and overall shooting (43.8%) percentages declined in limited appearances. “When I was available, I thought I had a great season when I was able to play,” Thomas said. “I learned a lot, really found out a lot about myself, on and off [the court]. Great season. Obviously, I’d love to be playing more, but sometimes, that’s just how the cards are dealt.”
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Above all, Thomas has remained loyal to the franchise that drafted him, and loyalty should count for something. His steady improvement deserves recognition and merits a rewarding contract. “I never wavered from that,” Thomas said. “I always felt like [Brooklyn] was a great fit for me. Just seeing the team, even with the team at the time, it was a great fit. For me, obviously, I would’ve loved to play more, get more run. But it was just part of the league, part of the business. I understood, but I never wavered. “I always loved playing here, even when I got the opportunity to play in front of fans, everybody in the arena. I got excited when I was out there playing, scoring. I definitely love playing in Barclays, playing in front of everybody. Even now, I’m just playing freely, playing with a green light, I would say. So, just experiencing that has been great, but definitely never wavered from the match made in heaven that I said on draft day. It still applies to this day for me.”
Re-signing Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe a priority for Nets?
The rebuilding Nets are not in a position to let the little young talent they already have walk out the door for nothing. Among their host of free agents this summer, that means re-signing Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe could be near the top of general manager Sean Marks’ list of priorities. “Both of those guys have shown tremendous development over the years,” Marks said. “You saw Cam take on a little bit of a different role this year in several games. He became more of a playmaker out there, which is great. I know he’s frustrated with not playing as many games as he did this year.
What he’ll want to know from Nets GM Sean Marks is how he fits into the team’s future plans, whether he’s going to help them win as a leader or as a trade chip. “Definitely, definitely go to him and ask, because I have a very vested interest in what we’re doing here,” Johnson said. “I feel like I’ve put a lot of effort into trying to be a part of this program. And I take that very seriously. And I feel like I’ve also been given a responsibility to have that approach. “I’d definitely like to know everything that’s going on. And I understand that I’m not going to be let in on every decision or have a say in every decision, but I would like to know going forward. But it is also my job to at this point work on myself, get better, and handle whatever comes along being a pro in the situation.”
Brian Lewis: The #Nets injury report is packed. Noah Clowney and Cam Thomas are givens, shut down for the year. But Cam Johnson (lower back contusion), Keon Johnson (rest), D'Angelo Russell (right ankle sprain) and Day'Ron Sharpe (right knee sprain) will be out tomorrow vs the #Pelicans.
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