Providing an update on Cam Thomas‘ restricted free agency on Thursday, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (YouTube link) said he expects Thomas to ultimately return to the Nets, since it doesn’t seem as if there are other “real” suitors pursuing the high-scoring guard.
Fischer also identified Thomas as the most likely of the top remaining RFAs to accept his qualifying offer, noting that the gap between the sort of contract he’s seeking and what Brooklyn has offered is pretty significant.
“I have not heard that Brooklyn has offered Cam Thomas anything further than a two-year deal with a team option on the second (year) that I don’t believe is going much north – if north at all – of the $14.1 million mid-level exception,” Fischer said. “… Cam Thomas thinks of himself as one of the most elite play-maker scorers in the NBA, and he wants to be compensated as such.
“… I definitely believes he wants north of $20 (million per year),” Fischer added.
Thomas has increased his scoring average in each of his four NBA seasons and put up career highs of 24.0 points and 3.8 assists per game in 2024/25. However, he was limited to just 25 games last season due to hamstring issues and has been up and down from an efficiency standpoint, with career averages of 43.9% from the floor and 34.9% on three-pointers. He’s also not considered an above-average defender.
Brooklyn previously reached two-year agreements with Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams that both include second-year team options, so the fact that the front office offered Thomas a deal with a similar structure makes sense. Despite taking on multiyear deals for Michael Porter Jr. and Terance Mann in trades this offseason, the Nets remain in position to carry over a significant chunk of cap room to the 2026 offseason.
The Nets may yet be willing to increase their offer for Thomas, but if the overall structure of their proposal doesn’t change and they continue to offer just one fully guaranteed year, he would have to decide whether accepting a qualifying offer worth roughly $6MM and sacrificing $8MM+ in 2025/26 earnings would be worthwhile in order to ensure he reaches unrestricted free agency next summer.
Accepting the qualifying offer would also give the 23-year-old the ability to veto trades during the ’25/26 season.
Thomas is one of four restricted free agents who received a standard (ie. not a two-way) qualifying offer in June and remains unsigned. The other three are Josh Giddey of the Bulls, Jonathan Kuminga of the Warriors, and Quentin Grimes of the Sixers.
Good job, Mr. Marks
IMO, the Knicks should have gone after Thomas or brought back Grimes instead of signing Clarkson and GY. I’m still questioning some of the moves that were made. Especially trading away OB1 and Grimes originally for basically nothing in return.
mlbnyyfan:
What you’re saying is impossible. They give Clarkson minimum money. They could not have gotten Grimes or Thomas for that money. It’s impossible. And you can’t add together Clarkson and GYs money and say they could’ve just signed one of the other guys. It doesn’t work that way. And how can you question the Knicks trading Grimes? Up until last season late in the year he was a complete bust. He was traded twice after the Knicks traded him! And I’m still not sold on him based on 20 something games with the 76ers. As far as Obi Toppin, he’s a bench player. And a terrible defensive bench player at that. He’s instant offense, but a complete turnstile defensively and doesn’t rebound well for his size.
He doesn’t Pass the ball.
Black hole. Once the ball touches his hands it’s not coming back out.
Teams are taking advantage that there wasn’t much cap room around the league this year. While Giddey, Kuminga, Thomas, and Grimes are not top tier players, if there was plenty of room around the league they each would be getting $20M plus this year (maybe Grimes a little lower).
Hope all these guys take a chance on themselves and sign the RfA, become feee agents, and see what happens in free agency next year.
Have a feeling that if Giddey’s agent makes a serious call that they’re ready to fight the RFA, the Bulls offer will go up.
He thinks its football and he can only play offense, and let the defense team come in the other way right?
Elite scorer! When he focuses on attacking the basket instead of jacking up 3’s, he’s awesome.
The Players’ Union is definitely going to work on eliminating or changing the way RFA works. This offseason proved how much it’s screwing over the players. Plus, if Cam Thomas accepts the qualifying offer, Nets will bench him or restrict his limits playing the other guys more.
For every Player now still a restricted FA theres are dozens of gyus receiving big paychecks.
All 4 want money no one wants to pay while giving Back assets.
Thomas and Grimes are one Trick low efficiency players.
Giddey and Kumminga Show much more promise, but where rightfully relegated to the bench in meaningful Playoff games.
Jordi won’t make it personal.
I’m surprised they hadn’t tweaked it more with the current CBA tbh. But I guess they didn’t anticipate the combined effect of the second apron penalties on top of the RFA restrictions, although they probably should have.
Cam Thomas wants to be paid by his shot attempts.
Lol this made me chuckle
Look the Pelicans took Jordan Poole, no one else wants the next Jordan Poole I guess?
‘I have not heard that Brooklyn has offered Cam Thomas anything further than a two-year deal with a team option on the second (year)…’
Two-year deal? Isn’t 3 years the minimum a RFA can be offered as an extension?
Is this report accurate?
If he plays more than he sits I can see someone giving him $20 million a year. He’s not horrible but he’s padded his stats playing for a Nets team with no stars.