Cam Thomas Rumors

Erik Slater: OFFICIAL: The Nets have re-signed guard Cam Thomas.

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Restricted free agent Cam Thomas is signing a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to return to the Brooklyn Nets, sources told ESPN on Thursday. The Nets were unable to reach a long-term deal with Thomas, so the 23-year-old high-scoring guard opted for the qualifying offer that gives him a full no-trade clause and sets him for unrestricted free agency next summer with at least 10 teams set to have cap space. Thomas is the first among the final restricted free agents in the NBA to land on a decision (including the Chicago Bulls' Josh Giddey, Golden State Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga, Philadelphia 76ers' Quentin Grimes). Thomas is only the fifth former first-round pick to sign a qualifying offer since 2017.

ESPN

Cam Thomas appears to be deciding between signing the qualifying offer with the Brooklyn Nets to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026, or signing their two-year offer that is worth approximately $28 million but has a team option for the second season, reports Jake Fischer.

RealGM

Bobby Marks: Haywood Highsmith is on an expiring $5.6M contract. Including the $12.1M Cam Thomas free agent hold, Brooklyn is $22M below the salary cap. They have until Oct. 21 to reach 90% of the salary cap.

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Amid the stream of Fischer and Bontemps’ reporting, one league source told NetsDaily where Thomas sees his market, using comparable players around the league: Jalen Green, making $33.3 million per year until 2027-28, when he has a $36 million player option Immanuel Quickley, making $32.5 million over the next four years Tyler Herro averaging $32 million over the next two years “That’s where he sees his market, if not higher,” said the source.

NetsDaily

This suggests Thomas is searching for an annual salary starting at $30 million, likely closer to $40 million. It’s unclear what Brooklyn has put on the table, but you can be sure it’s not that. And yet, according to league sources, nothing indicates the Nets are worried about losing Cam Thomas.

NetsDaily

The Nets' Cam Thomas might be the most likely of the four notable restricted free agents out there — along with Giddey, Kuminga and Philadelphia's Quentin Grimes — to take the bet-on-yourself option and accept his qualifying offer. Brooklyn has not made an aggressive effort to retain Thomas on any long-term deal, sources say. Sources also say Thomas is showing an increasing interest in playing out next season on a $6 million qualifier for the right to enjoy true free agency next summer.

marcstein.substack.com

Cam Thomas and the Nets are reportedly very far apart in negotiations. This has led to speculation that he may accept his qualifying offer. He has until October 1 to accept it or let it expire. The Nets would have the option to extend it if they’d like, but he’d remain a restricted free agent if they don’t.

Third Apron

If he accepts it, and the Nets re-sign Sharpe and Williams with cap space, they would have roughly $22 million in remaining space. This would mean the Nets need to increase their payroll to get within the $15.46 million maximum before the season begins. They would probably need to increase it by roughly $11-12 million when factoring in cutting some of their non-guaranteed players to get within the 15-player roster maximum.

Third Apron

A source familiar with Cam Thomas’ thinking said he does not consider himself inferior to Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million this upcoming season), Tyler Herro ($31 million) or RJ Barrett ($27.7 million).

New York Post

A bloated, one-year payment, this executive argued, could be enough to sway Thomas against picking up the qualifying offer, which would pay him $6 million in 2025-26 but allow him to hit unrestricted free agency next summer. “It keeps the Nets’ (cap space) alive for next year, gives Cam the money he wants per year in the short term, and he doesn’t lose Bird rights if he’s traded (like he would if he took the qualifying offer),” the executive said.

New York Times

Thomas averaged 24.0 points and improved as both a pick-and-roll ballhandler and facilitator in 2024-25. But he played only 25 games due to a hamstring injury and still has to improve as a passer and defender. His status left even high-ranking front office personnel wondering what his next deal might look like. No matter the response provided, participants in the poll were uncertain if their answer was mainstream or against the grain. “This is the hardest one,” one executive said. Another respondent deemed a two-year, $32 million contract for Thomas fair, but provided a caveat. “I wouldn’t be shocked if this was way lower or higher,” he said. “His scoring is very much ‘eye of the beholder.’”

New York Times

One person suggested a two-year contract but with a team option on the second season. That one was worth $20 million a year. Seven other respondents suggested two-year deals: two contracts were for $20 million total; one was for $28 million; one was for $29.3 million (the exact value of the midlevel exception); one was for $30 million; one was for $32 million; and one was for $50 million.

New York Times

Sources tell Fischer that the Nets' offers to date 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. Those offers, Fischer reports, have likewise featured a team option in Year 2.

marcstein.substack.com