Why the Nets Can’t Afford to Wait on Getting a New Deal Done for Cam Thomas

Oct. 21, 2024, was the NBA's deadline for rookie-scale contract extensions for players drafted in 2021. The Brooklyn Nets and Cam Thomas chose to delay the negotiations to the following summer, opting to let the electrifying scorer prove his worth in the final year of his rookie deal.

Thomas played just 25 games, averaging 24 points and 3.8 assists (both set new career-highs), but has yet to sign a second contract with Brooklyn. The Nets gained the ability to talk with Thomas on June 30, but over a week later, there's still yet to be any traction on either's front. Thomas remains a restricted free agent who reportedly has no market.

This slow process may come back to haunt the Nets.

As long as Thomas' situation looms over Brooklyn, the rest of the NBA will continue to pass he franchise by. Today, the Miami Heat, LA Clippers and Utah Jazz executed a three-team deal sending Norman Powell to South Beach and John Collins to California.

Were the Nets suitors for either player? Certainly not, but they could've joined in to continue their goal of facilitating deals, taking on bloated contracts and stockpiling draft picks.

Is there a direct source that claims the Thomas saga has prevented Brooklyn from entering any of these trade conversations? There aren't, but there also hasn't been explicit information revealed that suggests re-signing Thomas is a top priority.

The entire situation is simply confusing, which is why everything will be better once it's over.

Maybe the Nets don't have any more plans for the offseason. Perhaps they'd like to move forward with the young core they have and fully shift focus to summer league and training camp. But if that's the case, and Thomas has no market, why does he remain unsigned?

As a 23-year-old who is one of the best isolation scorers in the entire NBA, one would assume Brooklyn would exhibit some sense of urgency when it comes to retaining its homegrown talent.

It seems like only a matter of time until a contender offers Thomas a bare bones deal in hopes of stealing him away from the Nets, who must knock out this extension before they miss out on more roster-constructing fun.