Dec 22, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) controls the ball against Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) and guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (5) and center Nikola Jokic (15) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Can a Cam Thomas-Michael Porter Jr. Duo Coexist for the Nets?

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Jed Katz | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 8:43 PM ET

The modern NBA has become a league based on systemic fit. The superteam era is behind us, with the most successful teams have won championships with the right pieces and players in specific roles, not just stars being thrown together.

Just throwing a bunch of prolific scorers together doesn't necessarily guarantee success. The Brooklyn Nets, while not boasting any All-Star talent at the moment, are expected to have two prolific bucket-getters share the floor for the majority of the season, which has fans buzzing.

This offseason, the Nets traded veteran Cam Johnson to the Denver Nuggets, bringing back Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick. While the trade drew mixed reactions from fans, there's no doubt that the former Nugget will have a bigger role and more opportunities to score in Brooklyn. Last season, behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Porter averaged 18.2 points on impressive splits.

While the Nets have not officially brought Cam Thomas back yet, the 23-year-old is expected to return on the qualifying offer. After a summer that failed to bring him interest from around the league due to multiple factors, Brooklyn should have him back after averaging 24 points per game last season.

This year will be an interesting one for the Nets. They have a plethora of rookies coming in, but will also have to find a way to make the Thomas-Porter pairing work. Through the rebuild, Brooklyn isn't expected to win many games, but nobody likes ugly basketball. After giving up a valued piece in Johnson, the team can't afford for Porter to flop.

Aside from developing the rookies, the biggest task will be figuring out how to make Thomas and Porter work. The two have built reputations not just for being elite isolation scorers, but also players who are hesitant to swing the rock.

With another scoring option on each other's side, the two should be more prone to getting pieces involved in the offense. The two can actually coexist because of how each player gets their shots.

Porter wasn't much of a dribbler in Denver. He can certainly create shots for himself, but his bread and butter was knocking down catch-and-shoot looks, contested or not. Thomas, while also a shoot-first player, works more in the one-on-one game as a major bucket-getter. The biggest challenge for him will be increasing his efficiency and staying healthy.

It probably won't bring in many wins, but Brooklyn's duo of Porter and Thomas can work in terms of not looking ugly. This will be a big year for both of them, as Thomas is likely to be playing for a new contract before unrestricted free agency, while Porter will enter his first year as a top option.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: