Who’s next? Predicting the next All-Star from the Nets

They’d have to pay him first, but Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas isn’t far from becoming an Eastern Conference All-Star for the Nets. 

Consider Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro the conference’s floor for an All-Star bid, averaging 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists on 47.4 percent shooting from the floor. Now, Thomas would not only have to prove he can sustain this production over the course of a full campaign, but also improve in a number of areas. 

Through 19 appearances this season, Thomas averages 24.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 44.8 percent shooting overall, theoretically within arm’s reach of Herro’s numbers. While Miami's All-Star is a 40 percent three-point shooter, compared to Thomas at 37.5 percent behind the arc, the fourth-year Nets guard is slightly (one percent) better on free throws. 

Watching moments like Herro earn his All-Star selection never gets old, and Brooklyn would love nothing more than to see its homegrown prospect, drafted No. 27 overall in 2021, reach the same heights. One memory justly brought up often this year is D’Angelo Russell’s 2019 All-Star season, recently commemorated by SLAM magazine. 

Brooklyn would need to gain some momentum in the win column before any Thomas All-Star narratives come to life, but the Nets can assemble that potential whenever it actually becomes the objective — hopefully soon in Nets World with plummeting results and asset accumulation designed to turn the franchise around for years to come. 

The last Nets guard to earn All-Star honors was Kyrie Irving in 2023, prior to the Dallas trade. Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds on 48.6 percent shooting, but we're also talking about one of the most skillful guards in NBA history. 

Friday morning, Brooklyn announced a follow-up MRI taken earlier this week revealed appropriate healing on Thomas’ left hamstring strain. The Nets say he will continue to progress with individual on-court workouts and is expected to return shortly after the All-Star break. 

In his last performance, Thomas put 24 points on the Milwaukee Bucks in 22 minutes. He also recorded 23 or more points in four-straight games before being sidelined due to injury. All-Star output could show if the effortless scorer is placed with the right pieces in a competent rebuild. 

Thomas, playing out his final year on a $4 million team option, could potentially be the future of any All-Star hopes for the Nets organization.