Cam Thomas Signs One-Year, $6 Million Qualifying Offer Sheet With Nets

The saga has finally come to a close.

After months of drama, the Brooklyn Nets and Cam Thomas now have clarity on where their relationship stands going forward. Early Thursday morning, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Thomas had signed his qualifying offer, which will pay the 23-year-old $6 million for the 2025-26 season.

The agreement comes with a no-trade clause, meaning Brooklyn won't be able to capitalize on Thomas' now-expiring contract. Thomas will head to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026, allowing him to hit the open market when teams actually have available cap space, unlike this offseason.

Thomas had been seeking a long-term deal from Brooklyn ranging between $30-40 million annually, but the Nets' top offer only sat around $14 million per year. He became the first top restricted free agent, in a group that consists of Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey and Quentin Grimes—to come to a resolution with the franchise he spent last season playing for.

Now that Thomas' deal is out of the way, the Nets are free to finish rounding out their roster ahead of training camp. Ziaire Williams and Day'Ron Sharpe can now put pen to paper, as both have yet to sign the new deals they agreed to on the first day of free agency. Brooklyn will also need to work diligently in an attempt to trim down to 21 roster spots, as that's the maximum number of players they can carry into camp. This could result in some surprise departures, including Drew Timme, Jalen Wilson or Tyrese Martin—all of whom were impact players for the Nets just last season.

With the contract drama in the rear and eyes now set on 2025-26, Brooklyn's fanbase can begin to anticipate a one-two scoring punch of Thomas and offseason addition Michael Porter Jr. The duo instantly becomes one of the NBA's most lethal offensive tandems, given their skill sets, and could make the Nets extremely fun to watch heading into year two of the franchise's rebuild.

Brooklyn will likely have a similar cap situation next summer as they did this summer, meaning if Thomas proves his worth, a return isn't totally out of the question. Now, the Nets will have some competition—unlike this offseason—by way of other teams with available cap space that may be interested in the two-guard's services.

It would be quite ironic to see a bidding war ensue just one calendar year after Thomas had essentially no suitors—especially if he somehow ends up with one of Brooklyn's top rivals.