Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas wants to be paid like a starting-caliber shooting guard during the first free agency of his career. Thus far, the Nets and the NBA's other 29 teams have been unwilling to pony up that kind of money. The Athletic recently released their shooting guard rankings, and Thomas' place on the list is a far cry from the NBA's top players at the position.
Zach Harper ranked Thomas at No. 33 on the list, in the same tier as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Grayson Allen, Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Brandin Podziemski, Marcus Smart and others. He admitted he may have ranked the Nets guard too low based on external factors involving his situation.
“Thomas should probably be higher, but I have no idea if the Nets are going to use him properly,” Harper wrote.
Thomas has continually flashed elite scoring ability entering year five of his NBA career. However, concerns about his defense and playmaking have left many skeptical about his viability as a starting guard in a playoff-caliber rotation.
Nets guard Cam Thomas holding out for starting-caliber payday in free agency
Thomas doesn't feel his deficiencies in those areas have limited his impact.
“When I got major minutes, I feel like I've been one of the best guards in the league at my position,” he told ClutchPoints at the end of last season. “When I do have the minutes in a featured role, the sky's the limit for me. We've seen that these past two years.”
Thomas is reportedly seeking a contract approaching $30 million annually, on par with other young guards such as Jalen Green, Immanuel Quickley, Jordan Poole and R.J. Barrett, amongst others. However, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Nets' offer has not exceeded two years and $28 million with a team option in year two.
If Thomas is not keen on accepting that offer, he could sign his one-year, $6 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The deadline for restricted free agents to accept the qualifying offer is Oct. 1.
