Hindsight is often 20/20. That being said, Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas’s decision not to sign an extension last offseason may have been the wrong one. With momentum on his side, the 23-year-old likely thought that he would have a career year, or at least build off his eye-opening 2023-24 campaign.
Nets’ Cam Thomas Expected To Be Out For Season
Set to be a free agent in the offseason, Thomas is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Having played a career-low 25 games this season, Thomas has been “diagnosed with a left hamstring strain,” according to the team update (h/t Evan Barnes of Newsday Sports. “The injury occurred during Thursday night’s game at Chicago. Given the number of days remaining in the schedule and the time needed to appropriately recover, it is expected that Thomas will miss the remainder of the season.”
In 2024-25, he’s averaged 24.0 points and 3.8 assists per game, both career-highs.
Growth & Development
Thomas has become a fan favorite in his short career. Like many a late first-round pick, the LSU product has outplayed his draft position, making many wonder how he ever slid down to 27th. However, history can have a short-term memory.
When Thomas declared for the 2021 NBA Draft, he was a scoring-minded guard who averaged 23.0 points per game on just 40.6 percent shooting from the field and 32.5 percent shooting from 3. On top of that, he averaged just 1.4 assists per game with a negative assist-to-turnover ratio. If Thomas has been 6-foot-7 that would’ve been a cause for concern. At 6-foot-4 it was even more so, as he’d be expected to play both guard positions.
As a rookie, Thomas didn’t do much to change the perception of his game, averaging 8.5 points and 1.2 assists per contest. In his second season, he averaged 10.6 points and 1.4 assists per game. He was a bucket-getter with a penchant for making tough shots look routine.
Yet, he was essentially a black hole on offense. His defense was left a lot to be desired as well.
Over the past two seasons, Thomas has been definitely been dedicated to sharpening up his game though. This hasn’t necessarily been dependent upon who’s drawing up plays for the Nets. Nevertheless, former head coach Jacque Vaughn, former interim head coach Kevin Ollie, and current head coach Jordi Fernandez have all implored him to be more of a complete player.
At this point, he’s far from a perfect player. Still, Thomas’s growth and his continued success as a shot-maker have inspired confidence in what he can be. Of course, he was hampered by injuries this season. Nonetheless, none of them were severe enough to think it’ll have a lasting impact on his development or ceiling.
Stay Or Go?
Thomas has long been nonchalant about his contract extension, at least publicly. However, decisions will have to be made this offseason.
The most feasible option may be re-signing with the Nets. Not only can Brooklyn pay him more than any other team, they might give a larger role than many. Still, it’s possible that he leaves the Nets, whether it’s because of fit or money or the desire to play for a more competitive squad.
With that in mind, Thomas could also be moved in a sign-and-trade. A team without the cap space to sign him outright could see this as an attractive option in particular.
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