The post Cam Thomas reaffirms stance on Nets return ahead of free agency appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Cam Thomas ' future will be among the Brooklyn Nets ' top storylines this offseason. Ahead of the first free agency of his career, the 23-year-old reaffirmed his desire to remain with Brooklyn.
"I definitely, definitely want to be back in Brooklyn. It's definitely home for me. Being drafted there you definitely build bonds with a lot of people there, so I definitely love it there," Thomas told Marc Davis of WTKR News 3 on Saturday ahead of a youth camp in his hometown of Chesapeake, Virginia. "But at the same time you have to do what's best for you in the business aspects. So I have to play that by ear, but definitely want to be back for sure. I definitely love Brooklyn."
The Nets will have an exclusive negotiating period with Thomas and their other free agents, starting Monday and running until June 30. If they cannot agree to an extension, they are expected to extend him a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent.
However, general manager Sean Marks has a recent track record of getting deals done with his top free agents before they hit the market. He signed Cam Johnson to a four-year, $94.5 million extension in 2023 and Nic Claxton to a four-year, $97 million deal on draft night last summer.
Will Brooklyn lock down Thomas on a similar contract before other teams have a chance to bid?
Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
The Nets won't face much competition for Cam Thomas in free agency. They are the NBA's only team projected to have significant cap space. Opposing teams seeking to sign the guard to an offer sheet would be limited to the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Despite this, multiple league sources told ClutchPoints they expect Thomas' deal to fall in the range of $20-$25 million annually, in line with Johnson and Claxton. However, the length remains a question.
A long-term agreement would offer Thomas security and Brooklyn an opportunity to lock him in at a team-friendly rate. With the Nets in the early stages of a rebuild, they could frontload the contract, as they did with Claxton, paying out the bulk this season and next when they don't project to be competitive.
However, a short-term agreement would allow the Nets to maintain flexibility as they move forward in their rebuild. On Thomas' end, it would offer him a chance to reenter free agency sooner and secure a larger deal.
Thomas remains one of the NBA's more polarizing players at the end of his rookie contract. After sitting on the bench for his first two seasons, he emerged as the Nets' leading scorer over the last two years. Yet, concerns about his playmaking and defense as a lead guard have led to questions about his long-term role.
Despite this, the former first-round pick feels he's done more than enough to secure a featured role with Brooklyn long-term.
"When I got major minutes, I feel like I've been one of the best guards in the league at my position," Thomas 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."
Thomas played just 25 games this season due to three separate injuries to his left hamstring. With Giannis Antetokounmpo appearing content to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks to start next season, the Nets will likely stay on a rebuilding timeline.
If Thomas and Brooklyn can agree on a new deal, the 2025-26 campaign will serve as another evaluation period as the team decides where the talented scoring guard fits into its long-term plans.
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