Cam Thomas Likely to Accept Qualifying Offer Amid Uncertain Future With Nets

It seems to be quite likely that Cam Thomas will leave the Brooklyn Nets—just not this summer.

Based on reports, Thomas and Brooklyn are still at a crossroads in their contract negotiation, which could lead to the 23-year-old guard spending the 2025-26 season on the qualifying offer. This scenario would present Thomas the opportunity to sign wherever he chooses next summer as an unrestricted free agent.

ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel backed up this theory on Friday.

"Out of the four restricted free agents remaining (Kuminga, Giddey, Thomas, and Grimes), it seems like Cam Thomas is the most likely of the four to potentially accept his qualifying offer," Siegel Wrote.

"Well, as good as Thomas has been when healthy, he's never truly been the focal point in Brooklyn. The belief around the league is that the Nets don't want to keep him as a focal point long-term, which leads to answers about why they don't want to ink him to a three- or four-year contract that is worth upwards of $20 million to $25 million per season — which Thomas and his representation want," he continued.

Of the four restricted free agents Siegel mentions, Thomas is certainly the most polarizing. While guys like Kuminga or Giddey may have been drafted higher, Thomas' scoring ability outweighs everyone else's skillset—which is what makes his value so tough to gauge.

As Zach Lowe reported days ago, some league executives believe Thomas is a "ball hog," likely alluding to his point averages being somewhat inflated.

Two things can be true. Thomas may be eating up some empty calories due to the state of Brooklyn's roster, but the manner in which he scores is undeniable. He is one of the best isolation scorers in the NBA on a low-tier Eastern Conference squad—of course, the numbers are inflated.

Obviously, that's not Thomas' fault, but it still does need to be taken into consideration during negotiation.

"If it's true that the Nets won't offer him more than the mid-level exception, which is reasonable to believe but I have not heard such, then Thomas should bet on himself since he will be the Nets' leading scorer during the 2025-26 season," wrote Siegel.

In limited appearances, Thomas led the Nets in scoring during the 2024-25 season, as he did during the 2023-24 season. It's hard to imagine him not achieving the three-peat, but that feat could mark the end of his tenure in Brooklyn if neither side budges.