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The Brooklyn Nets are preparing for a busy offseason as they continue their rebuild. Re-signing leading scorer Cam Thomas will be among the team's top orders of business.
ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks offered a loose prediction for Thomas' next contract and explained why Brooklyn will hold significant leverage in negotiations.
“What is his number in free agency? Is it 20-ish [million per year], or somewhere around there? Consider it comparable to the Anfernee Simons contract that he signed about three years ago,” Marks said. “Remember, Brooklyn has the right to match any offer sheet. You have leverage in the process until a team comes in with money, and who is that team going to be? There's nobody out there right now who has more than $15 million. I do think he is a priority to come back, but I do think he's part of a pecking order of how you're going to structure your salary moving forward here.”
As Marks notes, Brooklyn is the only team projected to have significant cap space this summer, putting them in a great position to retain Thomas on a team-friendly deal.
Teams seeking to sign the guard to an offer sheet will be limited to the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
What will Cam Thomas' next contract with Nets look like?
Marks referenced Anfernee Simons' four-year, $100 million contract as a potential benchmark for Cam Thomas' next deal. While they possess different skill sets, the two guards posted similar stat lines over their ages 22 and 23 seasons as high-volume ball-handlers for non-playoff teams.
- Thomas (2023-2025): 22.9 points, 3.1 assists, 2.0 turnovers, 44/36/86 shooting splits
- Simons (2021 to 2023): 19.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.0 turnovers, 45/39/89 shooting splits
Several league sources told ClutchPoints they expect Thomas' deal to fall between $20 million and $25 million annually, in line with Marks' projection. The next question will be the length of the contract.
If the Nets plan to remain in the tank race next season, they could benefit by signing Thomas to a front-loaded long-term contract, as they did last summer with Nic Claxton. A Thomas contract following Claxton's structure, adjusted for the rising salary cap, would be as follows:
- 2025-26: $30.3 million (19.6 percent of cap)
- 2026-27: $27.9 million (16.39 percent of cap)
- 2027-28: $25.5 million (13.61 percent of cap)
- 2028-29: $23.0 million (11.19 percent of cap)
- Total: Four years, $106.7 million
While these numbers may appear high, Brooklyn would be paying out the bulk of the commitment during years when they would still be rebuilding. If Thomas continues to develop, the back-end of the deal could be a good value.
For reference, here are the players set to make between 11.2 percent and 13.6 percent of the salary cap next season:
Keldon Johnson, Luguentz Dort, Kevin Huerter, Patrick Williams, Zach Collins, Ivica Zubac, Andrew Nembhard, Alex Caruso, Rui Hachimura, Malik Monk, Harrison Barnes, Collin Sexton, Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Hart, Jakob Poeltl, Duncan Robinson, Norman Powell, and Cam Johnson.
While a front-loaded long-term deal could make sense, Thomas' representation could push for a short-term agreement, allowing him to re-enter free agency in the near future when more teams have cap space. While this would be somewhat of a gamble, Thomas doesn't lack confidence in his abilities.
“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 after his season-ending hamstring injury. “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.”
A short-term agreement would allow the Nets to maintain long-term cap flexibility. It would also add a tradable mid-sized salary to their books, should they wish to pivot and acquire a star.
The Nets will have an exclusive negotiating period with Thomas starting the day after the NBA Finals end. If the two sides cannot come to an agreement, Brooklyn is expected to extend the guard a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent when free agency opens on June 30.
“I feel like I built a lot of great relationships here. It is a business, but at the end of the day, I would love to be back,” Thomas said in March of his impending free agency. “I was drafted here, so I definitely have a connection… But whatever happens, happens. I’m gonna let my agents and the front office discuss that. We should be good, though. I’m very confident and happy to be back, if I am back. So we’ll see.”
