Net's young gun Cam Thomas allegedly considering a $6 million qualifying deal commitment
The Brooklyn Nets and Cam Thomas find themselves at an impasse in contract negotiations for the 2025-26 season. As of mid-August, the two parties have yet to reach an agreement on a long-term deal.
The Nets have extended a $6 million qualifying offer to Thomas, a move that the young guard is reportedly leaning towards accepting. This decision would keep him with the Nets for one more year, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026 and explore opportunities with other teams.
The Nets' reluctance to offer Thomas more than an average annual value (AAV) of around $14 million has been a point of contention. This figure is below what Thomas may value himself at, given his impressive scoring ability. However, Thomas' market interest is limited due to the league's overall salary cap constraints and the Nets' crowded backcourt.
Thomas' decision to accept the qualifying offer would provide him with a guaranteed salary of nearly three times his rookie contract's AAV for the 2025-26 season, while also preserving his future freedom to negotiate with other teams in 2026.
Thomas, who was selected No. 21 overall by the Nets in the 2021 NBA draft, has had a notable career with the team. Despite missing a significant portion of the 2024-25 season due to injury, he achieved career highs in points (24.7), rebounds (3.6), and assists (3.4) during that season.
As Thomas enters his fifth NBA season in the fall, the Nets appear to be in no rush to expedite discussions with his representation. Thomas has until October 1 to sign his qualifying offer for the 2025-2026 season.
If Thomas were to sign a two-year deal with the Nets, they would have the cap space to move forward with the deal and meet the salary floor before the start of the 2025-26 season. In his career, Thomas has played 215 regular-season games (80 starts) with Brooklyn, averaging 15.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 23.2 minutes per game.
Thomas' shooting statistics are also noteworthy, with a field goal percentage of 43.9% and a 3-point percentage of 34.5%. During the 2023-24 campaign, he averaged 22.5 points per night across 66 games (51 starts).
Thomas has been seeking a significant salary for his next contract, with reports suggesting he's aiming for between $20 million and $30 million per season. However, the Nets' offers have not exceeded two-year proposals featuring an annual average value in the range of the league's $14.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception.
As of now, there are no cap-space teams in circulation to offer an alternative contract to Thomas or other restricted free agents like Golden State's Jonathan Kuminga and Chicago's Josh Giddey. The uncertainty surrounding Thomas' contract situation with the Nets continues to be a topic of interest in the NBA world.
- Given the Nets' lucrative qualifying offer and Thomas' impressive basketball performance, particularly in rebounding, assists, and scoring, he might decide to assist the team for another season before exploring other opportunities in sports, such as the NBA.
- Despite the NBA's salary cap constraints and the Nets' crowded backcourt, Thomas' notable basketball career with the team, including his success in points, rebounds, and assists, along with his impressive shooting statistics, might encourage NBA teams to assist him with their rosters when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in summer 2026.
- If the NBA's overall salary cap space were more flexible and the Nets were willing to offer Thomas an annual salary exceeding the $14 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception he currently receives, it would significantly increase the interest from other teams in assisting the young guard in negotiations for a long-term deal, potentially leading to a more fruitful contract for both parties.
