Thomas with 30 million! It does not belong to the Nets future!

The tug-of-war between Cam Thomas and the Nets ended in summer. The 23-year-old scorer, who accepted a one-year qualifying offer from the Nets for 6 million, will become a full free agent in the summer of 2026 in the future.

In particular, he still has non-trade clauses in the new season, which means that at least in the 2025-26 season, his fate is still completely in his own hands.

On the surface, this is a temporary settlement, but in fact, behind this short contract, more is the Nets' attitude towards Thomas' long-term positioning.

Looking back at the 2024-25 season, Thomas delivered a data sheet with an average of 24 points and 3.8 assists per game. This is already a very outstanding result for a 23-year-old young scorer. He scored more than 20 points in two consecutive seasons, and is now the most stable firepower point in the Nets.

But even so, the Nets never put him in the core plan for the future. Although Thomas had scored many times in the four years he played for the Nets, he never really stood firm in the tactical position of the main force.

To put it directly, in the eyes of management, his data is more like an isolated content, rather than a benign result under the team system. In addition, what really makes people believe that the Nets are not optimistic about Thomas is mainly the 2025 draft. The Nets took away several main control players in one breath in the first round. These new players not only have excellent figures, but also have basic ball transmission ability. It is obvious that the center of gravity of the Nets' future layout is.

Borrow the explanation of the team's general manager Sean Max:

"What we want is a 0.5-second basketball. Make a decision immediately after receiving the ball, and you cannot stick to the ball. This is the development trend of the NBA."

From a pessimistic perspective, this passage is basically calling Thomas. As a shooting guard who relies on singles, has a small figure, is insufficient in defense and is seriously sticky in the ball, his player attributes are completely contrary to the direction the Nets pursue in the future.

According to ESPN reporter Shams, Thomas originally expected to get a contract with an annual salary of nearly 30 million, but the Nets gave a plan of 30 million for two years, with a team option or 9.5 million for one year but no non-trade clause.

Faced with both choices, Thomas chose to refuse, and even if he lost millions, he would retain his full freedom next year's chances. On the surface, he retained the initiative, but the future risks are huge. If he wants to make up for the losses this year, the next contract must have an annual salary of at least 24 million to recover the lost part. But with his current position in the league, it is obvious that not many teams will offer him such a price.

Of course, this situation is not the case of Thomas alone. In the past offseason, the entire league showed a cold attitude towards short and single-player shooting guards: the Jazz took the last round to send Sexton away for Nurkic; the Trail Blazers sold Simmons Jr.; the Heat almost picked up Powell for free; Clarkson also received basic salary in the Knicks.

It is obvious that the league is moving away from those little defenders who only score. What most teams want more is an all-around role that can defend, conduct, and play multiple positions. As for Thomas, it cannot lead teammates on the court, nor can it make up for defensive loopholes. It is naturally no surprise that the market value will continue to decline in the future.

Through the previous ranking list of league shooting guards given by The Athletic, Thomas ranked 33rd, basically at the same level as functional players such as Pope, Grayson Allen, and Kevin Hult. Combined with his defensive efficiency at the bottom of the league, he seems to be high or low in the team.

At present, for Thomas, signing a qualified offer is a big bet:

If he can prove himself in the new season, he will have the opportunity to choose a new environment and negotiate a larger contract in the summer of 2026; but if his performance is average, he will not only lose this year's big contract, but may also become an abandoned son in the free market.

From the perspective of the Nets, this is also not a qualified choice. Offering a qualified offer means that they completely lost their long-term control of Thomas. However, in Max's eyes, Thomas's contract with asking for more than 20 million is itself a negative asset. Instead of being kidnapped for a long time, it is better to let go early.

Starting the new season, Thomas is likely to be a starter of the Nets, but as the season progresses, the Nets will inevitably need to free up time for other rookies' potential stocks, and his playing time and team role will face a lot of squeeze.

is likely to face a very realistic ending: mid-season trading.

At that time, the Nets will not be ruled out that they will work with Thomas' team to find a new team willing to accept him. But the problem is that his non-trade clause means that the final decision is in his own hands, and he must find a good place that is willing to accept him and gives him enough space.

It is obvious that Cam Thomas's NBA career has gradually reached a crossroads.

And he chose to stick to himself, give up the big contract in front of him, and bet on an unknown future. Such a choice requires courage, but it is also full of risks.

In the new season, he needs to prove that he is not just a single player who swipes data, but a player who can truly provide team value in high-level games. Otherwise, by the summer of 2026, he may find that he missed not only a few million, but a whole NBA stage.

Of course, Thomas naturally has no lack of confidence to accept this contract, but in the next year, he must transform his confidence into real strength. Only in this way can the Nets and everyone who questioned him shut up.

As for whether it can be done, it depends on his new season.