NEW YORK – Sean Marks entered the offseason with the biggest chunk of cap space in the league. The Nets had to decide what to do about the contract situations of Cam Thomas, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Ziaire Williams.
Nets’ Contract Offer To Cam Thomas Will Shock You
Nobody knew the Nets’ strategy until it unfolded. At best, people describe it as non-sentimental. At worst, it’s all over the place. The Nets selected five players in the first round of last month’s draft to set an NBA record. All five are connective passers.
They also traded the once-highly-sought-after Cameron Johnson to the Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr. and Denver’s 2032 first-round pick. NBA insiders have described the trade as awful already. No surprise there. Since then, the Nets have slowed things down in free agency, yet they still haven’t sorted out Cam Thomas’ contract.
Thomas and the Nets Remain in a Stalemate
Sources told the New York Post that the deal will take a while. League sources say the two sides are “in no hurry.” They’re following the same pattern we see with all restricted free agents right now.
Chicago’s Josh Giddey, Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes, and Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga remain unsigned. Santi Aldama is the only restricted free agent from this class to get a deal done.
The Nets have flexibility. Brian Lewis of the Post writes, “The Nets can push that $25 million by waiving all four of their non-guaranteed players and could even add another $6 million if they take the already-agreed-upon, two-year, $12 million deal of either Day’Ron Sharpe or Ziaire Williams into the $8.8 million room exception, though the latter strategy certainly would mean exhausting most of their remaining space first.”
Thomas Wants a Payday, but the Market Says Otherwise
Thomas sees himself as a top shooting guard. Sources say he wants at least $30 million — like Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million) or Tyler Herro ($31 million).
Given those demands, it’s unclear how long this standoff will last. The Nets technically offered Thomas a contract, but it’s only a $5.9 million qualifying offer. That makes him a restricted free agent, which means the Nets can match any offer he gets elsewhere.
The problem? No other team has real cap space. So Thomas doesn’t have a market.
The Nets Hold All the Cards
The Nets have drawn a hard line. Sources revealed that if Brooklyn gives Thomas more than $10 million, they feel their “entire offseason goes from being amazing to sh-tty.”
Nobody knows if Thomas will take the qualifying offer and bet on himself to get paid in 2026. About 10 teams could have huge cap space next summer.
He’s betting the lack of cap space ruined his market — not how teams value him. Many front offices see him as an empty calories stats scorer. That may be a bit unfair. He does have potential as a bench spark plug. The Nets know this, so they hold all the cards.
Nobody knows what the final number will be, but one thing is certain: this will take a while.
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