The Brooklyn Nets have had an intriguing 2024-25 season start. After beginning the year 4-4, the Nets went on a three-game losing streak and possessed a 5-9 record going into Tuesday's Charlotte Hornets matchup. Many minds are on star fourth-year guard Cam Thomas amid his continued offensive ascent.
Through his first 14 games, Thomas is averaging a career-high 24.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 0.9 steals per game on a 39.1 percent three-point shooting clip. He is undeniably Brooklyn's best player and the biggest star the team has had since Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, questions loom about Thomas' future in the borough.
The Nets had the opportunity to extend Thomas before the regular season but failed to do so. Thus, he will hit restricted free agency during the 2025 offseason, when Brooklyn will have the chance to match any offer he gets. Thomas' incredible offensive ability will likely command him a hefty payday, but will the Nets be willing to pay to keep him with the team? Moreover, will they trade him by the 2025 deadline?
Thomas is likely to stay put for a simple, but logical reason
As the season progresses, trade rumors have heated up, but an NBA Insider believes Thomas may not be going anywhere simply because ownership likes him:
"One thing I do believe is important to note about Cam Thomas: [Nets owner] Joe Tsai likes the guy a lot. He's a fan. So I think when your owner is a fan, and we saw this in Utah with Ryan Smith, with Jordan Clark, [the player stays]," Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype told Erik Slater on the Bleav in Nets podcast in late November.
Could Joe Tsai be one of the main reasons Thomas stays in Brooklyn? Thomas' character and professionalism could be a huge drew to Tsai, but the guard's play on the court is as well.
There have been plenty of questions about whether Cam Thomas is or will develop into a legitimate franchise-building star. Many of these questions stem from the proposed idea that Thomas is only experiencing offensive success because he is getting most of the reps on a "bad team." Furthermore, his efficiency still needs improvement.
However, Thomas is answering both of those questions by boasting career-best field goal and three-point percentage marks early-on in the season, and the Nets are far from a bad team, as they have proven with their grit and ability to pull out a few wins.
Thomas still needs to take his defense and playmaking to a higher level, but his trajectory is promising, and it would not be surprising to see Joe Tsai and the the Nets front office stay away from trading him or letting him walk during the offseason.