The Brooklyn Nets have by far the most cap space of any team, and could use guard Cam Thomas’ innate ability to score.
So even though locking up Thomas, a restricted free agent, to a new contract should be a slam dunk, The Athletic’s senior NBA writer Fred Katz spelled out the complicated nature of dreaming up a new contract for the soon-to-be fifth-year NBA player.
Thomas, a 2021 first-round pick of the Nets, is averaging 15.1 points per game over his 215-game career with the Nets yet has topped 20 points per game in consecutive campaigns. He is coming off a 24.0 point-per-game average, where he shot 50.6 percent on two-point shots.
Yet, due to Thomas’ injury history — he missed all but 25 games with multiple hamstring injuries, including one diagnosed in March that cost him the final month — a jury of NBA execs was conflicted by what Thomas’ deal could end up being.
What Should Cam Thomas’ Next Contract Terms Be?
Thomas is as efficient a jump shooter as there is in the NBA, proven by his career .489 shooting percentage on two-pointers. But he has a penchant for over-shooting, since he is averaging just 2.1 assists per game in his career — though he posted a career high 3.8 assists per game last year.
“On one side are the people who believe that Thomas’ gaudy numbers warrant a payday,” Katz wrote. “The highest average annual value proposed for him was $30 million a year. On the other are those who question if his score-first approach is conducive to winning.”
Of the execs Katz polled, the consensus was all over the map.
“Thomas averaged 24.0 points and improved as both a pick-and-roll ballhandler and facilitator in 2024-25,” Katz wrote. “His status left even high-ranking front office personnel wondering what his next deal might look like. No matter the response provided, participants in the poll were uncertain if their answer was mainstream or against the grain.”
The execs polled split between two-year contract, with a club option for the second year, three-year contracts and four-year deals. The total costs varied on three- and four-year contracts from $50 million-$90 million.
One exec offered a two-year, $50 million contract but with a kicker.
“The first year pays Thomas $25 million,” Katz wrote. “The second is guaranteed for only $5 million. So Thomas receives either $30 million for one year of service or $50 million for two, handing him a pseudo-expiring contract for the upcoming season or a definite expiring deal for the next one.”
“It keeps the Nets’ (cap space) alive for next year, gives Cam the money he wants per year in the short term, and he doesn’t lose Bird rights if he’s traded (like he would if he took the qualifying offer),” the executive told Katz.
Who Will Cam Thomas Play For Next Year?
Though there was no consensus on Thomas’ next contract, the executives polled agreed on one thing: Thomas would be playing in Brooklyn in 2025-26.
“The Nets have one element going for them in negotiations: Creating leverage is not easy for Thomas,” Katz wrote. “Since he is a restricted free agent, Brooklyn can match any offer sheet he signs with another team to bring him back for the same price.
“Of course, Thomas would struggle to find a suitor anyway. The only team with enough cap room to make him a meaningful offer is the one he played on last season.”
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