Sean Marks Praises Cam Thomas’ Growth Amid Contract Stalemate

The drama that ensued between the Brooklyn Nets and Cam Thomas this summer once seemed like it was destined to carry over into the 2025-26 regular season. After months of negotiating, Thomas eventually signed the one-year, $6 million qualifying offer, paving the way for him to eventually exit Brooklyn in the summer of 2026.

Despite Thomas going back and forth with media members on X and essentially scrubbing all his socials of any mention of the Nets, General Manager Sean Marks still spoke glowingly of the 23-year-old guard to Brian Lewis of the New York Post on Tuesday.

"He's approached this in a very mature manner. It's part of the business. It's maybe the ugly part of the business when you can't find a common ground," Marks told Lewis. "But...he's developed and the hours that he's put in the gym...speak volumes."

The development Marks points to could be what ends up warranting Thomas a long-term deal in Brooklyn—if that's where he wants to be for the foreseeable future. He was viewed as such a polarizing player within league circles and the media beacuse outside of his scoring ability, which is elite, many didn't believe he offered much outside of that.

But that was then. If he improves his playmaking and defensive abilities, which Marks has already alluded to, Thomas could grow to the point where paying him $30 million annually wouldn't be scoffed at.

Especially with Head Coach Jordi Fernandez leading Thomas' individual development sessions. The soon-to-be-second-year head coach is renowned for his ability to grow young talent. While Thomas is still technically a "young talent," he's already entering his fifth season as a pro. This means that Fernandez gets to work with a player who needs to expand his game, who may not need to experience the typical "growing pains," given the fact that Thomas is technically now a seasoned veteran.

All of the drama from this past summer evaporates quite quickly if Thomas comes out in Brooklyn's opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 22 and shows off his newly polished skills. Suddenly, the fanbase will fall back in love with the 18-year-old it did nearly four years ago, and the Nets can move forward in hopes of rekindling negotiations at the end of the season.

Of course, that's not guaranteed, but it's likely the best possible outcome at this point in the relationship.