Franchise stars do not come around to NBA teams often. It takes a special talent for a player to cement himself as a team's go-to contributor. The Brooklyn Nets have had just a handful of players fit that description during their time in New York, and the team might have its next standout in fourth-year guard Cam Thomas.
Thomas is entering a critical year with the Nets. During the 2024-25 season, he will be in the final year of his rookie contract. Brooklyn has a tight preseason window from Oct. 1 to Oct. 23 to offer Thomas an extension. Sean Marks and the Nets have expressed the importance of getting a deal done with the talented guard. Still, it remains to be seen if an extension will be agreed upon before the season or if the team will let him hit restricted free agency during the summer of 2025.
Brian Lewis of the New York Post joined ClutchPoints' Erik Slater to discuss the obscurity that surrounds Thomas' contract situation.
"He is the player that I personally have found the hardest to get a handle on his value around the league," Lewis told Slater on The Bleav in Nets Podcast. "That when I say value, I mean that in a number of ways. I mean in terms of what kind of offers, offer sheets he'll get, presuming he hits restricted free agency next summer... In terms of how coveted he is, shall we say, by other front offices. I can't get a gauge on that."
The cloud surrounding Thomas' next contract will not last
Brian Lewis' take on Thomas is fitting. In late September, former ESPN Senior Writer Zach Lowe revealed a shocking revelation about some front-office members' attitudes toward Thomas. Lowe believed executives were not very high on Thomas, and some would allegedly not be willing to offer him a minimum-level contract extension.
Thomas' market may be hard to predict, but there is no way Sean Marks and the Nets think that lowly of him. Thomas has experienced incredible growth in Brooklyn, jumping from 8.5 to 10.6 to a whopping 22.5 points per game over his last three seasons. The offensive threat will have an even greater opportunity to improve during the 2024-25 season with the Nets in a full rebuild.
Thomas might be in contention to lead the league in scoring. That illustrates how much potential he has. If Thomas continues the superb effort, there is no doubt he will remain in Brooklyn for a long time.