Reports have indicated there’s a significant gap in contract negotiations between restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas and the Nets, his incumbent team. As Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com writes, Thomas doesn’t appear to have much leverage, with so few teams having the ability to sign him to an offer sheet that might give Brooklyn pause.
“He’s a talented scorer, but he’s kind of stuck in the middle right now. He wants star money, but a lot of teams see him more like a microwave scorer off the bench,” a veteran scout for a team who made last year’s playoffs told FastbreakJournal.com. “That disparity is what’s keeping him on the market.”
Echoing reporting from Jake Fischer, Afseth also states that Thomas seems “increasingly likely” to sign his $6MM qualifying offer, which would give him an implied no-trade clause and a chance to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026.
Here are a few more free agent items of interest:
- League sources tell Afseth that the Jazz, who could theoretically make a run at a top restricted free agent, don’t appear to be interested in Thomas. However, rival teams believe Utah might be intrigued by another RFA who offers more versatility and defense. “If Utah uses that cap space, it’ll be for someone like Quentin Grimes, someone who can knock down threes and guard multiple positions, but still can create off the dribble,” an Eastern Conference executive told FastbreakJournal.com. “He’s also shown flashes as a scorer and playmaker in Philly. He’s shown he can grow into a more complete player in the right system. That’s a different type of bet than what you’re making on Thomas.”
- According to Matt George of ABC 10 Sacramento (Twitter link), the Kings and veteran guard Russell Westbrook continue to have mutual interest. However, George has heard that Sacramento would like to trade either Devin Carter or Malik Monk to make room in the backcourt for Westbrook, who remains an unrestricted free agent after declining his 2025/26 player option in June. The nine-time All-Star suited up for Denver last season.
- Free agent wing Brandon Boston Jr. is in “advanced talks” with Greek EuroLeague club Panathinaikos, per Spurs reporter Dusty Garza (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando). The 23-year-old guard/forward is coming off a solid season with New Orleans in which he averaged 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 23.6 minutes per contest, with all of those figures representing career highs. However, Boston was limited to just 42 games due to an ankle injury, which required surgery in April, and the Pelicans declined their team option on his contract for ’25/26, making him unrestricted.
I really don’t understand Sacremento’s front office… Unless Carter, who we haven’t seen, is bad or Monk is on the decline I wouldn’t play them over Westbrook, no shade on Russ.
Kings front office has no idea how to run a NBA team.
Monk is getting a little older and slowing down and is not as consistent as you would like.
He knows how to play and he has a lot of ability, but he’ll go one for seven or three for 11 too many times at this point.
Nice player off the bench, but Westbrook would be too much of the same stats wise, if you brought him in and kept Monk.
Monk is 27. Literally just starting his prime. Also if age was an issue why would 36 about to be 37 washed up Russ be the answer?
yeah seems like they backed off playing Monk not long after extending him… or at least the rotations seem to be erratic but that comes from changing coaches. I get that Ellis is pretty good but Monk is good as well… they certainly thought so if they committed $78m.
Only reason they want to trade Monk is to create payroll space to sign either Kuminga or Thomas. Westbrook can be had for around $5 million but Kuminga or Thomas will cost $25 million. They wanted to trade deroza but nobody will touch that contract.
I would agree with you Siggy, and even go so far as to say that the number 27 is not even the prime yet. Prime is probably 31.
Malik Monk is different. He’s been effective but he’s slowing down or he’s not quite mentally confident as he’s been before or the money has gotten to him and he’s comfortable?
Who knows but you can’t bring in Russell Westbrook if you have Malik Monk coming off the bench.
That’s two guys who do the same thing when you look at the stat sheet at the end of the game.
Wouldn’t you agree with that or you want to keep monk AND sign Russell Westbrook? That’s a weird combo off the bench?
I actually think Monks shooting ability makes him ok to play with Russ off the bench and Devin Carter is an interesting defensive prospect so the trio offers different skillsets together. If anything those 3 fit together better than Schroder, LaVine and Derozan but who knows Sacramento would still find a way to screw it up even if it worked.
Should just do a two-part article on Westbrook… speculate where he may end up this season, and then what new team in 2026, penciling in his (upcoming) stats for this season of 9.8ppg, 4.5 apg, and 4.3 rpg on 43% fga and 82% ft
I’m a big Russ fan but the move wouldn’t make sense for Kings. Carter is younger and unknown, the team is going no where so play him and see what you got. Monk is a fan favorite, probably slightly more efficient than Russ and younger.
Monk isn’t a PG, skillset overlsps with DeRozan and LaVine. He lost his job to Keon Ellis late in the year.
Of course I wouldn’t be rushing to pair Westbrook and DeRozan in 2025 either.
Why are all these people parroting “Thomas doesn’t appear to have much leverage, with so few teams having the ability to sign him to an offer sheet”? And are saying the same about Kuminga, Giddey and Grimes?
Barely anyone was giving offer sheets to RFAs even when teams had plenty of cap space, and under the old CBA. Out of 36 RFAs in the last 5 years, only 2 have received an offer sheet.
Offer sheets have never been a prominent factor in these negotiations, nor are they now. Just because all these writers and journalists found out about their existence, the reality of how the NBA works didn’t change.
Offer sheets don’t happen because teams will typically agree to a sign & trade once it gets to that point.
Well, yes, kind of.
But that’s not the point. The point is that offer sheets don’t happen because teams giving them out know they are getting matched. That’s the gist of it.
Offer sheets have never been a powerful leverage tool for players.
They are a weaker leverage tool now because teams are more cap conscience. There is also less cap room than ever due to veteran + rookie extensions.
Players don’t hit free agency anymore, which means there is less money available for the ones who do. It’s not the same climate as when the Nets gave mammoth sheets to the likes of Otto Porter, Tyler Johnson, and Allen Crabbe.
Exactly. Brooklyn giving out those offer sheets was the most notable example of the usage of that tool. And let us all learn what it is in reality: the teams will always match. Even if the contract is an overpay. And the only thing the team giving out those sheets achieves is harassing the team the player is with, and putting them in a bad financial situation. Just like Brooklyn messed up all those teams. If I remember correctly, all those contracts became problems.
There is zero benefit for teams to give those out. And it also makes a GM giving those out look like a bad apple, and very quickly, they might find themselves in a situation where nobody wants to do business with them.
Nobody is getting a good player by giving him an offer sheet. Nobody would have signed Kuminga, Giddey, Grimes and Thomas by giving them offer sheets. That’s why nobody did it.
However, writers and journalists have suddenly discovered the existence of these contracts, and declared that the players “have no market” because nobody is signing them to these sheets.
“However, writers and journalists have suddenly discovered the existence of these contracts”
No accredited NBA writer has “suddenly discovered” offer sheets.
“and declared that the players “have no market” because nobody is signing them to these sheets.”
You’re upset because they are reporting the truth?
Westbrook is not the type of player you trade Monk or Carter for smh
Not at this stage of career, Vivek gonna Vivek though.
Where would Westbrook fit well? Grimes would be a good signing for Utah. Kuminga is the one who is going to lose out.
How low is Westbrick willing to go down? Why in the heck would he consider Kings other than to stack up stats? It was ine thing to play for Denver or LA teams, but lowly Kings?? I guess he downt want Jokic to pass his triple double record soon, lol. He needs to go to China..
Why go to China when he can make the same/better money stateside on a vet min? He ain’t McGrady/Marbury, he can still play.
So he can get triple double every night and go home happy.
His family is in CA. Kings are the only CA team for him. Warriors are not signing, already played on both LA and the Lakers blamed him for all the problems.
Hiw abour retiring then?
Because he wants to play. 🤷
Cam Thomas is a good example of why you probably shouldn’t only develop one area of skills in a sport. Okay, you can score? But you can’t defend, you don’t pass, you turn the ball over… but you want star money. Seems like he should be making more what a highly productive sixth man makes. Jordan Clarkson money.