Cam Thomas makes free agency pitch to Nets with ‘best in league’ declaration

Whether or not Brooklyn’s front office feels the same remains to be seen.

Cam Thomas spent his first two NBA seasons planted on the Nets’ bench. However, he cracked the rotation in 2023-24 and emerged as the team’s lead ball-handler midway through the year after Kevin Ollie replaced Jacque Vaughn as interim head coach.

When available this season, the 2021 first-round pick was Brooklyn’s unquestioned No. 1 offensive option under head coach Jordi Fernandez. While he struggled to stay on the floor due to his hamstring injuries, Thomas was pleased with what he and the team showcased.

“I feel like me and Jordi have a really good connection and I would love to keep that going. I really think we bought into what he’s trying to preach, and me as well, buying into what he’s trying to preach for me and the vision he sees for me as a player. I think just all the different conversations we’ve had have been dope and him really believing in me as a player. I really can’t ask for much more than a coach to believe in me.”

The Nets will host substantial leverage in negotiations with Thomas. They are the only team projected to have significant cap space this summer, with roughly $65 million available. The Detroit Pistons can create nearly $25 million, but they’re unlikely to pursue Thomas with Cade Cunningham in place as their lead ball-handler.

Much of the league will be limited to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1 million) in free agency. Teams could also pursue Thomas in a sign-and-trade. A league source told ClutchPoints the Nets guard’s market could fall between $18 million-$24 million annually.

“It’s more of a question for the summer, right? Because there’s gonna be a lot of different factors. So I cannot answer the exact, I’m not gonna give you the exact answer,” Fernandez said when asked about Thomas’ future in Brooklyn. “But what I can tell you is Cam has been great for the group. He’s worked every single day, he’s built relationships. We all know his superpower is being a very good scorer. He’s done a good job with his efficiency, his playmaking.

“It’s unfortunate that he had the injury that he had three times, and now the most important thing is to help him to get back healthy. We’ll go through the summer together. We have a plan in place. And the plan is gonna be to be a team that wins consistently and we’re gonna get there together.”