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'Cam Thomas Wants to be Paid' – NBA Insider Hints at Brooklyn Nets Star’s Unikely Payday
Apr 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) shoots against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets look like they are likely to move on from Cam Thomas this summer. The former LSU star is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and there haven’t been reports about what the Nets are planning for his future. Thomas’ four-year rookie contract has expired, and an NBA insider hints that the star guard’s future in Brooklyn looks uncertain.

Thomas has done a lot in his young career. He was selected as the 27th pick in the 2021 NBA draft despite averaging 23 points in college. With the Nets, he didn’t have a lot of chances to showcase his talent early in his career. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 8.5 points on 43.3 percent shooting from the field in his rookie season.

He gradually improved his game, showing the Nets that he’s a reliable scorer. He averaged 20 points for the first time in his third year. Thomas appeared in 66 games that season and averaged 22.5 points. Last season, he was limited to a hamstring injury strain and averaged 24 points on 43.8 percent shooting from the field.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon appeared on “The Brooklyn Boys Podcast.” Host of the show, Connor Long, asked MacMahon about the situation with Thomas and the Nets. The insider predicted that Brooklyn isn’t interested in giving him a massive deal, which is not what the star guard expects.

“I would say Cam Thomas wants to be paid and apparently the Nets aren’t too eager to pay him,” MacMahon said. “That’s probably the simplified view of that whole situation.

However, the insider said that he thinks Thomas will return to the Brooklyn Nets, but he’ll be on a shorter contract.

“He’s a pretty polarizing player around the league. the guy obviously can score, he can get buckets. Can he contribute to winning? I think it’s a big question around the league. My guess is, that is back in Brooklyn when next season starts, probably not on a long term deal.”

Kevin Durant revealed what went wrong with the Brooklyn Nets


Dec 12, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) celebrates with Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

In the early 2020s, the Brooklyn Nets were expected to be contenders for the NBA championship. The team had Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden under Steve Nash as the head coach. However, it didn’t work, and the failed Big 3 has often been criticized by fans and experts.

In the recent episode of the show, “Mind The Game,” Durant revealed what went wrong with the Nets.

“I had just signed that deal. You (Steve Nash) had just signed a deal. But I feel like we were secure, but everything else around us was going to s**t. Not in a bad way. We got GMs going to other teams. We got coaches going to other teams. We got players forcing trades. We bring in Ben Simmons. He’s back. Like, it was just so much stuff going on. A lot of bulls**t around us.”

Nash added by saying that he thought he didn’t get to coach as much with the Brooklyn Nets.


'Regardless of the Chaos' - 14x All-Star Kevin Durant Looked Back on His Time with the Nets 2 Dec 30, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) slaps hands with Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden (13) during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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