Contract Comparison: What if the Nets Give Cam Thomas His Desired Salary?

At the beginning of the offseason, Thomas was expected to command up to $100 million in total money, but the Nets haven't come close to offering him that much. Teams around the league aren't showing interest due to the amount Thomas wants compared to their cap situations, giving Brooklyn all the leverage.

While Thomas is expected to return on the qualifying offer or take less than $30 million per season, where would he rank on the contract scale if he received that amount per season? Who else in the NBA is making that much money?

Hypothetically, if the Nets gave Thomas $30 million per season, he'd be right on par with stars such as Tyler Herro, Jalen Johnson, and Kristaps Porzingis. Herro, just two years older than Thomas, made his first All-Star Game last season, while Porzingis has proven to be a pivotal piece on a championship team. Johnson, a fellow 2021 draftee, is a rising two-way star in the NBA.

Of these four players, Thomas may not be considered the best of the bunch by many fans, but he isn't far off in terms of value. The issue with his game comes in all other areas outside of scoring. 24 points per game is impressive, but he did so on 43.8% shooting from the field and 34.9% from three. He has also lacked significantly on defense.

Other players, slightly above Thomas' preferred contract, include Jalen Suggs, Jordan Poole, and CJ McCollum. Players slightly under a $30 million AAV include Derrick White, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Trey Murphy III.

Contract comparisons are difficult. Player production changes every season, and the perception of a player being underpaid can do a full 180-degree turn in less than a year.

However, with the ever-changing salary cap due to the new CBA, the Cam Thomas contract dispute has become a slippery slope, partially due to the money being made by those around him. As each day passes, the odds of Thomas getting that contract become tougher to gauge.