Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is facing a tepid market in restricted free agency. While part of that is due to the limited cap space around the NBA, some of it stems from narratives surrounding the fourth-year guard.
“The consensus on Cam Thomas — if there is one, and he's got some fans, and he's got some mega-detractors — but the consensus is kind of like empty calories, ball hog,” Zach Lowe recently said on his podcast.
Thomas fired back at Lowe and his detractors on Friday.
“The consenus? F*** you and the consensus @ZachLowe_NBA,” he wrote on X. “This is most likely the same consensus teams who can’t guard me and send double teams from jump ball . Why are we double teaming a guy who's “not that good” make it make sense please.”
The consenus? F*** you and the consensus @ZachLowe_NBA . This is most likely the same consensus teams who can’t guard me and send double teams from jump ball . Why are we double teaming a guy who's “not that good” make it make sense please. https://t.co/IrHNVHYqTc
— Cam Thomas (@24_camthomas) July 18, 2025
Thomas remains one of the NBA's most polarizing players at the end of his rookie contract. While the 23-year-old has flashed elite scoring ability, concerns about his playmaking and defense have led many to question his viability as a starter in a playoff rotation.
Cam Thomas unleashes NFSW rant on X amid ‘ball hog' criticisms
Thomas has emerged as the Nets' leading scorer after spending his first two NBA seasons on the bench. He averaged 22.9 points and 3.1 assists on 44/36/86 shooting splits over 91 appearances the last two seasons. Brooklyn posted a 31-60 record in games he played during that span.
Thomas' shoot-first mindset and questionable defense have garnered criticism dating back to his days at LSU. Those concerns were evident when he dropped to 27th in the 2021 draft despite leading the nation's freshmen in scoring during the prior season.
While the narrative surrounding his game has persisted, he feels it's unjust.
“Last time speaking on some shit,” Thomas continued on X. “Empty Calories ? First off we were the 5th or 6th team in the east before my injury and trades [last season]. Can’t control what the GM wanna do with the team … 2nd ball hog? I was 2nd on the team in assists , not counting the PGs traded away and traded for…”
Last time speaking on some shit.
Empty Calories ? First off we were the 5th or 6th team in the east before my injury and trades. Can’t control what the GM wanna do with the team … 2nd ball hog? I was 2nd on the team in assists , not counting the Pgs traded away and traded for…— Cam Thomas (@24_camthomas) July 18, 2025
It's difficult to knock Thomas for Brooklyn's lack of team success since he became a full-time member of the rotation. The Nets were in a transitional period in 2023-24, firing head coach Jacque Vaughn midway through the year, before entering a rebuild last season.
However, the narratives surrounding his unwillingness as a passer and subpar defense didn't arise out of nowhere.
Thomas continued to be a glaring negative defensively last season. Opponents scored 6.8 more points per 100 possessions during his minutes. That was the worst mark on the Nets and the eighth-worst among all NBA players to play over 700 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass.
During the 2023-24 season, Thomas ranked 405th out of 422 players to play over 500 minutes in potential assists per one minute spent on the ball, according to stats compiled by The NBA Underground. He averaged one potential assist per 3.4 true shooting attempts, ranking 343rd out of the 422 qualified players.
(The NBA Underground did not post the stats for 2024-25)
On March 8 last season, at which point Thomas had made 23 of his 25 appearances for the year, he was averaging one potential assist every 9.6 touches. That ranked 71st out of 74 guards who were averaging over 50 touches per game.
NBA guards ranked by touches/potential assists ratio (minimum 50 touches per game):
1. T. Young: 4.43
2. C. Paul: 4.68
3. J. Morant: 5.37
4. B. Simmons: 5.45
5. D. Booker: 5.61
6. I. Collier: 5.63
7. J. Harden: 5.80
8. D. Garland: 5.86
9. R. Westbrook: 5.89
10. Davion Mitchell:…— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 8, 2025
He posted a 13.9 assist ratio (percentage of a player's possessions that ends in an assist) for the season, ranking 104th out of 129 qualified shooting guards, according to ESPN.
However, Thomas showed improvement as a passer towards the end of the season. The LSU product averaged 5.8 assists per game over his final five appearances. He dished out a career-high 10 dimes during his final game of the season.
Further, while his scoring efficiency still has room to grow, it took a significant step forward last season. Thomas posted a 57.5 true shooting percentage, ranking 36th out of 55 players to attempt at least 15 shots per game.
When assessing Thomas' development, it's also worth noting that he has played significantly fewer minutes than the other top guards in his age range. After spending most of his first two seasons on the bench, the former first-round pick has played 4,980 minutes with Brooklyn. For comparison, Jalen Green, also drafted in 2021, has played 10,038.
The jury remains out on whether Thomas can develop into a starting backcourt member of a playoff rotation. The former first-round pick is a restricted free agent after the Nets tendered him his $6 million qualifying offer.
Nearly three weeks into free agency, he remains unsigned with no indication that he and Brooklyn are making progress on a deal.
