Brooklyn Nets' Cam Thomas Seeking Deal in Range of Quickley, Herro and Barrett

While Cam Thomas was defending himself from a report by Zach Lowe on social media, the New York Post's Brian Lewis has been providing insight into the restricted free agent's situation.

In an article published to The Post yesterday, Lewis revealed Thomas' desires thanks to a source that's familiar with the 23-year-old's thought process.

"Thomas has openly said he views himself as one of the best shooting guards in the league," Lewis wrote. "A source familiar with Thomas’ thinking said he does not consider himself inferior to Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million this upcoming season), Tyler Herro ($31 million) or RJ Barrett ($27.7 million)."

Now, two things can be true here. First, Thomas isn't an inferior player to Quickley, Herro or Barrett—at least in terms of impact. Sure, Herro made his first All-Star appearance this past season, but an argument can be made that Thomas was on track to accomplish the same feat had he not been injured for the majority of the year.

That said, a case can absolutely be made that all three of the players Thomas compares himself to are overpaid—specifically Quickley and Barrett. Herro really is the odd man out here, given his value to the Miami Heat, performance in the 2020 postseason and All-Star appearance, but the other two haven't yet lived up to their contract.

So, is it fair for Thomas to use Herro, Quickley and Barrett as benchmarks in his contract search? Maybe, but context is key.

It seems that Thomas is relying more on the state of the guard market over what his value may truly be. He is—without a doubt—one of the most-lethal scorers in the entire NBA, but needs to further develop the rest of his skills before becoming a player worth $30 million-plus annually.

But the thing is, he's totally capable of doing so. He's only 23, and is presently paired with one of the best developers of talent the league has to offer, Jordi Fernandez.

So, the short version of this story: is Thomas worth as much as the Heat and Toronto Raptors are paying Herro, Quickley and Barrett? No, not at the moment. However, in a few years, there's a chance he ends up being worth far more than those three—especially if he becomes an all-around threat.