Nets' Cam Thomas Left Off HoopsHype’s Top 26 Shooting Guards Ranking

Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas wants to be paid like a top-15 shooting guard in the NBA. HoopsHype doesn't believe the 23-year-old is even one of the best 26 players at his position.

Thomas' ongoing contract drama with Brooklyn is well-documented, yet tiresome. The Nets have offered him a deal that includes a $14 million average annual value (AAV), but Thomas is holding out for anywhere between $30-$40 million per season.

For context, the low end of Thomas' desires would almost mirror Tyler Herro's current contract. The high end could put Thomas in a tier including guys like Desmond Bane, James Harden and even potentially Zach LaVine.

While Thomas wasn't included on HoopsHype's list of the top 26 shooting guards for the 2025-26 season, a fellow restricted free agent did: Quentin Grimes. Grimes came in at No. 25, landing ahead of New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole but behind Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk.

Other notable names to be listed ahead of Thomas include: Bradley Beal (LA Clippers), Ty Jerome (Memphis Grizzlies) and Aaron Wiggins (OKC Thunder).

Now, there could be a multitude of reasons for Thomas' omission. The discourse surrounding his negotiations with Brooklyn has proven just how polarizing a player he truly is, especially within the media. HoopsHype's list was put together behind a team vote, so Thomas being left off isn't all that surprising.

This has more to do with the stigma surrounding Thomas' game than it does with his impact as a player. Would you believe that only two players on the list of 26 averaged more points per game than Thomas? That's right, Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards were the lone guys to outscore Thomas. Donovan Mitchell posted an identical nightly average to Thomas.

Yet Thomas couldn't make the list.

Obviously, there's more to the game than just scoring, and Thomas doesn't excel at much outside of putting the ball through the hoop. But his ability—especially in an isolation scenario—is so unique that he at least has an argument to be viewed as a top-26 shooting guard.

He'll have to round out the rest of his game to earn the respect he truly deserves, especially once all this contract drama is in the rear. Once there aren't any distractions and Thomas is able to solely focus on his craft, it'd be hard not to see him cracking a top-26 list in the very near future.