‘We Love Cam’: Nets Coach Reaffirms Support Amid Free Agency Uncertainty

It’s been a roller-coaster offseason for Cam Thomas and the Brooklyn Nets. After establishing himself as a reliable 20-plus point-per-game scorer over the past two seasons, Thomas reportedly entered free agency with an asking price of up to $25 million per year.

But between the high asking price and concerns over his efficiency and durability, Thomas is still unsigned at this point in the offseason. The Nets are currently the only team with the financial flexibility to meet his asking price, but they haven't done much to express interest besides extending a one-year, $5.99 million qualifying offer back in June to make him a restricted free agent.

While Brooklyn’s quiet approach might seem like a sign of disinterest, a recent report suggests otherwise. During the Las Vegas Summer League, Spotrac NBA insider Keith Smith spoke with several NBA coaches and front office executives. According to Smith, one Nets coach made it clear that the team’s feelings toward Thomas haven’t changed.

“We love Cam. We think he’s one of the best scoring guards in the league, and an underrated playmaker,'" the coach said. "We’ll see what happens, but our feelings about Cam as a player and person have never wavered. We love him."

Although he was limited to just 25 games this season due to a hamstring injury, Thomas averaged career-highs in points (24), assists (3.8) and rebounds (3.3) per game. While he has been criticized for his efficiency and "ball-hogging" traits, Nets Wire’s Sharif Phillips-Keaton pointed out that the criticism may be getting blown out of proportion.

"Thomas is 1 of 12 guards that averaged 24.0 PPG and 3.8 APG while shooting at least 43.8% from the field last season along with guys like Donovan Mitchell and Steph Curry," Phillips-Keaton said.

After being selected with the No.27 overall pick of the 2021 Draft, Thomas' NBA career got off to a relatively quiet start. Through his first two seasons in Brooklyn, Thomas averaged just 9.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

After the slow start, Thomas burst onto the scene as one of the league's top young scorers in his third season, averaging 22.5 points per game.