Cam Thomas Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Bufkin, NAW, Tanenbaum, Nets, Wiggins

September 16th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After rebuffing trade interest in former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin earlier in the offseason, the Hawks became more open to the idea of moving him after the Las Vegas Summer League concluded, according to Grant Afseth of RG.org.

While Bufkin posted strong averages of 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in four Vegas outings, he struggled to score efficiently, making just 35.5% of his shots from the floor, including 25.9% of his three-point attempts. The Hawks, who are hoping to contend in what looks like a wide-open Eastern Conference, are focused on players who can help them win right now and weren’t sure Bufkin fit that bill, as Afseth explains.

Bufkin was ultimately sent to Brooklyn, though the Pacers also registered some interest, sources tell RG.org.

As for the Hawks, they intend to lean on Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard for ball-handling duties behind star point guard Trae Young, according to Afseth, who says the team envisions Alexander-Walker taking on a more significant offensive role than he had in Minnesota — he has been working closely with Atlanta’s coaching staff to prepare for those increased responsibilities, Afseth adds.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Raptors governor and NBA Board of Governors chairman Larry Tanenbaum is obligated to begin the process of selling his 20% stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (the Raptors’ parent company) to Rogers Communications by July 7, 2026, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. There are “rumblings” that process could begin sooner, Grange says, but either way, it sounds like it’s just a matter of time until Rogers – which already controls 75% of MLSE – owns nearly the entire company. Rogers increased its stake in MLSE from 37.5% to 75% a year ago.
Which Nets players are the most and least likely to be part of the team’s long-term plans? Brian Lewis of The New York Post explores that question in a subscriber-only article, suggesting that Cam Thomas seems unlikely to remain in Brooklyn beyond 2025/26, whereas Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, and whoever the Nets draft with their 2026 lottery pick seem destined to be cornerstones going forward.
Addressing the recent trade rumors linking Heat forward Andrew Wiggins to the Lakers, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explains why he thinks Miami would be better off keeping Wiggins than trading him for a return of Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht.

Eastern Notes: Shamet, Thomas, Bucks Survey, Donovan

September 8th, 2025 at 5:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Landry Shamet remains under heavy consideration to fill the Knicks’ available roster opening for a veteran’s minimum contract, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Shamet was a key reserve for the club last season, appearing in 50 games. Shamet has reportedly been working out in New York while hoping to re-sign with the Knicks.

A report from Marc Stein earlier on Monday indicated that Ben Simmons turned down an offer from the Knicks. Another prominent free agent, Malik Beasley, is a long shot to sign with them, according to Bondy, who names Malcolm Brogdon as another possibility for that veteran-minimum slot.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The fact that restricted free agent Cam Thomas signed his $6MM qualifying offer means he’s not in the Nets’ plans beyond this season, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com writes. Despite some gaudy offensive numbers, Thomas is an undersized, shoot-first guard who has been a poor defender throughout his career, Slater adds. The QO comes with a no-trade clause but the Nets now have little incentive to offer Thomas a featured role this season, which could complicate his market next summer, Slater notes.
Bucks fans who answered a survey conducted by The Athletic’s Eric Nehm have little faith that the team will the NBA championship this season. Out of 690 responses, 81.2% were either “not that confident” or “not at all confident” that the Bucks will win it all. However, Bucks fans remain high on general manager Jon Horst, as 83.1% said they were either “extremely confident” or “somewhat confident” in him. The same could not be said of Doc Rivers, as 62.7% expressed little or no confidence in the veteran head coach.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame over the weekend. Now, Donovan must show he’s a Hall of Fame coach by finally turning the Bulls into a true playoff contender, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times opines.

Latest On Nets, Cam Thomas

September 4th, 2025 at 3:27pm CST by Rory Maher

Cam Thomas‘ decision to sign his one-year qualifying offer (worth nearly $6MM) was a reflection of the fact that he didn’t receive much external interest as a restricted free agent this summer, numerous scouts and league executives told Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

According to Lewis, Thomas has “fans at the highest level in the Nets front office,” but the team clearly wasn’t willing to bid against itself and evidently wasn’t comfortable offering the 23-year-old a long-term deal.

As Lewis writes, there’s risk for both sides now that Thomas is back under contract. From Brooklyn’s perspective, Thomas has an implied no-trade clause, meaning he would have to approve any deal during the 2025/26 season — if that happens, the team that acquires him would only have his Non-Bird rights.

Thomas, meanwhile, reportedly sacrificed short-term money to keep that built-in no-trade clause. General manager Sean Marks targeted multiple play-making guards during the draft, Lewis notes, and the Nets may prioritize their development over more shots for Thomas.

“On a team that’s not trying to win and doesn’t care, if he signs the qualifying offer he runs the risk they don’t feature him after October,” a league source had told The Post before the move. “A team that isn’t trying to win, you’re stuck.”

According to Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (Substack link), the Nets will be approximately $7MM below the 2025/26 minimum salary floor if they re-sign Ziaire Williams to the same two-year, $12.5MM contract that Day’Ron Sharpe received and waive a few of their non-guaranteed deals before the season begins. That would put Brooklyn in a good position to add assets in another salary-dump deal before the season begins, but a major trade appears unlikely.

Gozlan hears Sharpe will earn $6.25MM each of the next two seasons. As previously reported, the contract features a second-year team option, so it’s only guaranteed for ’25/26.

Nets’ Cam Thomas Signs Qualifying Offer

September 4th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

12:02 pm: Thomas has officially signed his qualifying offer, the Nets announced (via Twitter).

6:59 am: Nets restricted free agent Cam Thomas has decided to sign his one-year qualifying offer worth just under $6MM to return to the team, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Reporting since late July indicated that Brooklyn was willing to give Thomas a multiyear deal but that the team wasn’t going beyond two years at roughly $14-15MM per season, with a second-year team option. According to Charania, the Nets also proposed a one-year, $9.5MM contract that could have been worth up to $11MM in incentives, but it would’ve required Thomas to waive his right to veto a trade.

Rather than accepting either of those team-friendly proposals, Thomas will take his chances on a more modest one-year contract that will give him a de facto no-trade clause for the 2025/26 season and will put him on track to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

As Charania points out, while the Nets were the only team to enter this offseason with significant cap room, there could be 10 or more cap-space teams in 2026, creating more options on the open market for a free agent like Thomas.

The 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of LSU, 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.

As talented as Thomas is as a scorer, his shortcomings in other areas limited his appeal in restricted free agency, and the Nets’ favorable cap position allowed the team to play hardball in negotiations. Having agreed to re-sign other free agents like Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams to contracts that aren’t guaranteed beyond 2025/26, Brooklyn was clearly prioritizing its ability to maintain cap flexibility next offseason and wasn’t interested in making a longer-term commitment to the 23-year-old at this time.

If Thomas plays out the 2025/26 season with the Nets, the team will maintain his Bird rights entering next summer. However, if he approves a trade to another club before February’s deadline, his Bird rights wouldn’t go with him — that’s presumably the reason why he turned down Brooklyn’s one-year, $9.5MM offer, which would’ve required him to essentially “pre-approve” a trade. Even if the Nets decide not to re-sign Thomas next July, his Bird rights could be useful in sign-and-trade scenarios.

If Thomas OKs a trade during the season, his new team would have his Non-Bird rights and wouldn’t be able to offer him a starting salary higher than about $7.2MM (120% of his previous salary) next offseason without using cap room or another cap exception.

The Nets will actually open up some cap room as a result of Thomas signing his qualifying offer, since the team had been carrying a cap hold of approximately $12MM for him — that cap hit will be cut in half once he officially puts pen to paper, creating an extra $6MM in spending flexibility for Brooklyn.

Thomas was one of four notable restricted free agents around the NBA whose situation remained unresolved as of Labor Day. We can probably expect resolution for Josh Giddey (Bulls), Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors), and Quentin Grimes (Sixers) at some point this month, since they face an October 1 deadline for accepting their own qualifying offers.

Nets Notes: Porter, Thomas, Lottery Odds, Koch

September 4th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets are counting on Michael Porter Jr. to provide scoring punch and stretch opposing defenses after acquiring him in an offseason trade with Denver, and he’s confident that he can deliver. In a recent interview with online influencer PlaqueBoyMax (YouTube video link), Porter proclaimed that Warriors guard Stephen Curry is the only NBA player who surpasses him as a long-distance shooter.

“Stephen Curry, that’s the only one I’m giving like a clear elite, can shoot better than me,” Porter said. “There’s dudes that are on the same level. I think Klay Thompson, (Kevin Durant). If I got in the gym (with someone) like Duncan Robinson, he probably can shoot with me. Trae Young, (Damian Lillard). But I think Steph is the only one clearly better.”

Porter has numbers to back up his claims, as he’s coming off one of the best shooting seasons of his career, connecting at 50.4% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range. His ability to knock down outside shots convinced the Nets to take on the nearly $80MM he’ll earn over the next two seasons.

There’s more from Brooklyn:

Cam Thomas‘ future with the team remains cloudy following his decision to accept a one-year qualifying offer, according to NetsDaily. The high-scoring guard may find himself pushed down the rotation as the Nets focus on developing their five first-round picks, and the situation could get more contentious as the season wears on. One source called the outcome “another failure in asset management” for the team, while another told the author, “Cam Thomas gets the QO to no surprise. Can’t imagine how many shots he’s going to take this year.”
With their roster loaded with young players, the Nets are expected to be among the top contenders for best odds heading into next year’s draft lottery. Peter Botte of The New York Post examines their competition and expects the Jazz, Wizards and Hornets to all be involved in that race to the bottom.
Julia Koch and the billionaire Koch family, who own 15% of the Nets’ parent company, BSE Global, have purchased a minority stake in the NFL’s New York Giants, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. BSE Global also owns the WNBA’s New York Liberty and Barclays Center.

Free Agent Rumors: Thomas, Westbrook, Simmons, Shamet, Knicks

August 21st, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Wednesday during a Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link) that he continues to hear restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas is weighing whether to sign his $6MM qualifying offer or accept a two-year deal with the Nets worth around $14MM annually. The catch is the second year is a team option, meaning only the first season is guaranteed.

“Cam Thomas’s situation seems to be a decision between taking his qualifying offer or a two-year deal with a team option that is north of the qualifying offer from Brooklyn, somewhere around $14 million in average annual value,” Fischer said.

For what it’s worth, league sources not connected to the situation speculated to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports that Thomas might accept a two-year deal with a team option if he received closer to what Golden State reportedly offered Jonathan Kuminga ($45MM). While Helin acknowledges that the Nets have the edge in negotiating leverage, he wonders if the two sides will eventually reach some sort of compromise — perhaps a second-year player option or a partial guarantee in year two — to hash out a new deal.

Here are a few more rumors and notes on NBA veterans who remain unsigned:

There’s still no indication that any NBA team besides Sacramento is seriously considering signing Russell Westbrook, Fischer said yesterday in the same Bleacher Report live stream (hat tip to Dallas Hoops Journal). “We are still waiting to see what other moves could come in Sacramento before the Kings try to bring Russell Westbrook in,” Fischer said. “And that’s been the one home all along that we really have looked at for Russell Westbrook and that’s still the home that I have heard earlier this week is the most likely outcome for Russell Westbrook if he’s gonna be in the NBA at all. Honestly, that’s really the only home we’ve heard for him.”
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a look at four potential landing spots for Ben Simmons, including the Kings, Knicks and Warriors.
While the Knicks and Simmons have mutual interest and the 29-year-old could end up in New York, Ian Begley of SNY.tv thinks the former No. 1 overall pick is “probably” more likely to land with another team, he said Tuesday on The Putback (YouTube link). New York only has enough room below its second-apron hard cap to sign one veteran to a minimum-salary deal, and Begley is “kind of assuming” that contract will eventually go to Landry Shamet. The Knicks have also kicked the tires on Malcolm Brogdon, though Begley noted they would likely have to make a trade to sign more than one of those three players.

Nets Not Making Aggressive Offers To RFA Cam Thomas

August 10th, 2025 at 1:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets have not made an aggressive effort to sign restricted free agent Cam Thomas on a long-term deal, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Thomas, who is entering his fifth NBA season, has posted some big offensive numbers the past two seasons. He averaged 22.5 points per game in 66 outings during the 2023/24 season and 24 PPG last season. However, he only made 25 appearances in ’24/25 due to persistent hamstring issues.

Thomas is more of a scorer than a shooter and has other holes in his game, which has limited his market in sign-and-trade scenarios. In a recent story from The Athletic, 16 NBA executives were polled regarding current prominent RFAs. Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga and Quentin Grimes were considered more valuable than Thomas. Whereas 15 of the 16 respondents proposed contracts of at least three years for each of Kuminga, Giddey and Grimes, only eight did the same for Thomas.

Fischer writes that Thomas might be the most likely of those RFAs to accept his $5.9MM qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Last month, Fischer reported that Brooklyn had not offered Thomas anything further than a two-year deal with a team option worth roughly the amount of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM). Thomas is believed to be seeking a contract of at least $20MM annually.

Fischer’s Latest: RFAs, Warriors, White, Young, Celtics

August 7th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Rory Maher

During Thursday’s Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer reiterated multiple times that he expects the four primary restricted free agents — Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Quentin Grimes (Sixers) and Cam Thomas (Nets) — to continue to be in contract standoffs with their respective teams for some time.

“Again, we are still in a holding pattern with all these restricted free agents, and we are — at this juncture — expecting all those situations to linger deeper into August and get into September as well,” Fischer said. “Don’t expect a resolution for Jonathan Kuminga, for Josh Giddey, for Quentin Grimes, for Cam Thomas, anytime soon.”

According to Fischer, the Warriors haven’t shown any interest in what the Kings and Suns have offered in sign-and-trade scenarios for Kuminga. But they also don’t want to lose the former lottery pick for nothing in return.

“Jonathan Kuminga’s side, I believe, right now, would be willing to take a two-plus-one with a player option three-year deal,” Fischer said. “I think that Jonathan Kuminga’s side would take this one-plus-one situation with Golden State — this two-year, $45MM offer that’s been on the table — if he were to get a player option in year two.

“But I was told yesterday from various sources that Golden State is going to be holding firm … that second year is going to be a team option. And that’s kinda where this staring contest is at.”

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Warriors currently have only nine players signed to standard contracts, with the Kuminga stalemate continuing to hold up their other offseason business. Fischer suggested that Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II are likely to be signed after Kuminga’s situation is resolved. Malcolm Brogdon and Seth Curry remain on Golden State’s radar as well, according to Fischer, with Javonte Green another player mentioned.
The Bulls are monitoring Coby White‘s upcoming free agency, Fischer said. White will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026, and Fischer noted that there has been talk of White wanting a contract that exceeds $30MM annually. That expectation may be factoring into the calculation of Chicago playing a level of hardball with Giddey’s restricted free agency.
Thomas looks the most likely of the four RFAs to accept his qualifying offer, Fischer confirmed. The high-scoring guard views himself as a $30MM+ per year player, but the Nets haven’t approached that figure and have only offered him short-term deals to this point, Fischer said.
While Fischer confirmed the latest reports on Trae Young‘s disappointment at the lack of an extension offer from the Hawks, he said that it was also somewhat expected by Young’s camp. Fischer called this season an opportunity for Young to maximize a roster built to complement his game, as well as an opportunity for the new front office to evaluate the players on the roster. If Young is able to maximize the team’s potential and earn All-NBA honors, he’d be eligible for a much more lucrative extension, and he also has a 2026/27 player option he could decline to enter free agency next year as possibly the top free agent on the board.
Prior to dealing him to the Jazz, the Celtics had talks with the Grizzlies during Summer League about a deal that would send Georges Niang to Memphis, according to Fischer, who said a rumored framework of Anfernee Simons for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was never discussed. Fischer noted that before RJ Luis signed a two-way deal with the Jazz, he was considering signing with the Celtics. The Jazz are expected to keep Niang as a veteran leader. Fischer also said that he’s not as confident that Simons gets traded before the season starts as he was that Niang would be dealt.
Fischer confirmed that Bennedict Mathurin is on track to receive a bigger role this season with the Pacers due to Tyrese Haliburton‘s injury, and that Mathurin is also hoping to secure a deal that would pay him $20-30MM per year. Fischer added that many of the unsigned rookie scale extension candidates likely won’t finalize new deals until the October deadline.

Eli Cohen contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Thomas, Edgecombe, Bridges

July 30th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Nets still have significant cap space this summer, observes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). The club is also still in a bit of a contract stalemate with restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas.

For now, including cap holds, Brooklyn has $28.1MM in available cap room, per Gozlan. Although Brooklyn has agreed to new deals with its own free agents, wing Ziaire Williams and center Day’Ron Sharpe, the agreements are not yet official.

Noting that those signings have been held up as Brooklyn looks into potential trades using its cap real estate, Gozlan proceeds to detail the mechanisms available to the Nets to bring back one or both players — and how a new Thomas contract could complicate matters.

At most, Brooklyn can only have $15,464,700 in cap room when the season hits, so one way or another, more money will be on the books for the Nets soon. How the team navigates these deals remains to be seen.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Although the Nets and Thomas appear to be far apart as their contract talks drag on, The New York Post’s Brian Lewis (subscriber link) submits strategies for the two sides hashing things out before the season. Lewis notes that, beyond agreeing to the offer Brooklyn has put on the table, Thomas could also decide to accept his qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency next summer. Lewis consulted with plugged-in sources about the advice they would give Thomas about the situation, if asked.
Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe received some words of wisdom prior to last month’s draft, from a very veteran source. The Baylor alum explained on new teammate Paul George‘s “Podcast P” show (YouTube video link) that Dallas sharpshooter Klay Thompson offered him some solid insights about the NBA. “Enjoy the journey,” Edgecome said Thompson told him (hat tip to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal for the transcription). “He was like, ‘You’re gonna win championships and all that, but draft night? That’s the best time. You only do that once.’”
The Knicks have enjoyed an eventful offseason so far, having brought in former two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown to replace the recently exiled Tom Thibodeau, and added vets Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson to round out their bench depth. But there’s still business to attend to. Stefan Bondy of The New York Post notes that signing All-Defensive forward Mikal Bridges to a new contract extension headlines three key items that should be on the Knicks’ remaining offseason agenda. Since the end of the playoffs, the 6’6″ swingman has been eligible for a deal that could be worth, at most, $156MM over four seasons.

Execs Weigh In On Cam Thomas’ Value

July 30th, 2025 at 11:53am CST by Rory Maher

Fred Katz of The Athletic recently polled 16 rival NBA executives about what “fair” contracts would look like for the four primary restricted free agents who remain unsigned.

We have already relayed stories regarding Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey and Quentin Grimes, with the key caveat that teams are much more likely to be conservative in their valuations than agents because they don’t want their own players to become too expensive in the future.

In today’s story, the executives weighed in on Nets guard Cam Thomas, who led Brooklyn in scoring with a career-high 24.0 points per game in 2024/25 but was limited to just 25 appearances due to hamstring issues. As Katz writes, Thomas was easily the most polarizing name of the group, and executives were uncertain about whether their views were consensus or otherwise.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if this was way lower or higher,” said one executive who proposed a two-year, $32MM deal. “His scoring is very much ‘eye of the beholder.’”

Whereas 15 of the 16 respondents proposed contracts of at least three years for each of Kuminga, Giddey and Grimes, only eight did the same for Thomas. And while most executives viewed Kuminga ($17-25MM annually), Giddey ($20-25MM) and Grimes ($12-17MM) as having relatively stable market values, the same was not true for Thomas.

In addition to various contract structures – including a one-plus-one (two years, $40MM with a team option, so only $20MM guaranteed), seven two-year deals, five three-year contracts, and three four-year proposals (no one proposed a five-year deal) – the hypothetical offers also ranged anywhere from $10MM to $30MM per year, with the average being $16.7MM annually but only $42.7MM in total guaranteed money.

According to Katz, only two executives valued Thomas in the exact same way. They were also the most bearish on him as a player, offering $20MM total over two years. And the executive who was seemingly the most bullish on the 23-year-old — deeming a three-year, $90MM deal as being “fair” — was quick to add a caveat.

“I wouldn’t personally give (it to) him … But I justified it as ‘fair’ because if I’m him, I’m saying I’m better than Jalen Green and that’s way less than he got,” said the staffer who suggested the $90MM contract, the most lucrative deal in terms of both total money and annual average value.

As Katz points out, Green received a three-year, $105MM rookie scale extension last October. But other score-first guards, like Collin Sexton and Norman Powell, have been traded for relatively modest returns, and the Jazz couldn’t find a taker for Jordan Clarkson, who reached a buyout and signed a minimum-salary deal with the Knicks.

The Nets need someone to score points next season, even if they’re clearly more focused on the 2026 draft than their results in the standings, and Thomas is the player best equipped to do that, Katz writes. But Brooklyn also has a lot of leverage as the only team which can currently make Thomas a strong offer, something it reportedly has shown little interest in doing to this point.