It’s likely to be a long-haul.
Signs, signs, everywhere, signs? Nah.
It doesn’t matter which tee Cam Thomas is wearing while working out … at which gym in which borough. Nope, doesn’t matter which (limited) Brooklyn Nets material he deleted from which social media or what cryptic message he’s trying to send with new posts. Nor does it matter that pundits are in agreement that of the four big restricted free agents, Thomas is the most likely to exercise his qualifying offer and play one year for $5.99 million, then become a restricted free agent.
This morning, there was an even a poll in the New York Times/The Athletic on what’s a fair package for Thomas.
People in this poll were more willing to give Thomas a higher average annual value ($16.7 million for Thomas compared to $14.7 million for Grimes), but they were more comfortable handing Grimes total money ($47.7 million guaranteed for Grimes compared to $42.7 million guaranteed for Thomas).
Those are all negotiating ploys or speculation. Cam Thomas has not exercised his QO and thus, hope remains for a resolution maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually. Indeed, Thomas public appearances and comments are far more likely to be part of the “discussion” between player and team than examples of any growing distance. They are subtle but public moves to strengthen his case among the fanbase … or at least the most vocal. He may be polarizing but his fanbase is mobilizing.
We’ve had word, from Jake Fischer, that the two sides haven’t “significantly engaged” and that the Nets standing offer is somewhere around two years, $28 million with the second year a team option, basically a larger version of what the Nets have agreed to pay Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams (two years, $12 million with a team option in year 2.) No doubt there will be more discussions. Alex Saratsis, his new agent, is experienced and respected. He represents Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers, for example.
As both Brian Lewis and Yossi Gozlan have written in the last two days, Sean Marks still has a lot of cap space and a lot of flexibility to work through. There will be more salary dumps to examine, guarantees to decide, roster spots to fill, Exhibit 10s to sign.
There is a finely choreographed, CBA-directed dance that teams follow in sequencing transactions to take full advantage of the CBA. The reality is that that last act is likely to be signing restricted free agencts because teams can sign their own free agents outside the cap using Bird Rights … but only after they have used up their cap space. So, they keep their dance card as clean as possible, ready to accept invitations. At this point, the Nets remain under the salary cap floor by about $17 million.
Gozlan who writes for capsheets.org and pods on The Third Apron hinted this week that the Nets could be interested in helping the Celtics avoid $70.7 million in taxes by taking Anfernee Simons and his $27.7 million expiring deal into their cap space … and receiving some draft asset in return.
The Celtics are reportedly looking to reroute Anfernee Simons to save more money. They would get under the luxury tax line and eliminate their $70.75 million projected tax penalty by trading him into the Nets’ cap space. It would be more difficult to reduce $17.6 million, the amount they are above the tax line, during the season when the Nets have less cap space.
No, there’s not a chance the Celtics who will be tanking this season are giving up their 2026 first. They do have a 2027 first and at this point Brooklyn does not hold clear title to their own pick but they do have the Knicks pick and could wind up with the Sixers pick too. Would Brooklyn want another first rounder in what looks like a weak draft? We are already too deep in the weeds but the point stands: trade season isn’t over.
It is hard to imagine the Nets and Celtics having not spoken at one point or another. And with some cap manipulation, Marks could take on Simons in a trade and sign Thomas. Whether that would be efficient or make either guard happy is another matter.
Gozlan and Lewis also note the possibility of salary dump involving R.J. Barrett who has $56 million and two years left on his deal. Simons averaged 19.3 points and Barrett 21.1, with Simons missing 12 games and Barrett 24.
As noted, there isn’t necessarily a rush to get all those matters out of the way. The Nets can exhaust their cap space then use Bird Rights to sign Thomas and Thomas doesn’t have to decide on exercising his QO until October 1 … and then it can be extended through March 1.
The Nets have surprised us and the pundits and draftniks this summer. They not only decided to use all their first rounders; they added one the night before the Draft and took five players instead of four. Their first lottery pick in 15 years was someone seen as a reach. They traded Cam Johnson not for two first rounders, but for one future first and a 27-year-old capable of averaging 20 points a game.
So maybe they could surprise and move on Cam Thomas soon. That CBA dance is going to take precedence. “[The sides are] in no hurry, likely like all the restricted free agents right now,” one league executive told Lewis.
The Cam Stans would like to see things resolved quickly, using social media to demand he be signed and offering comparisons with other deals with other players. Even in China, the Nets Zone on Hupu.com, the big sports blog, is filled with pro-Cam commentary. It would seem unlikely.