Nets' Cam Thomas could boost 2026 NBA free-agency if he takes QO
"The 2026 free agent class could get a boost if current restricted free agents Jonathan Kuminga, Cam Thomas, Quentin Grimes and Josh Giddey sign the one-year qualifying offer before Oct. 1," ESPN's Bobby Marks wrote during his latest article on the NBA landscape at this point in August. Marks was giving a preview of what the 2026 class could look like next summer, but the restricted free-agents (RFAs) from this offseason still have unsettled situations.
"They would be unrestricted in 2026 if they take the one-year contract," Marks continued. As Marks alluded to, Thomas has until Oct. 1, 21 days before Brooklyn's season-opener at the Charlotte Hornets, to accept his qualifying offer (QO) if he wants to become an unrestricted free-agent next offseason. The Nets and Thomas could extend the deadline to Mar. 1, but if Thomas doesn't take the QO prior to the deadline, he will remain a restricted free-agent.
This summer has proven to be a tough one when it comes to restricted free-agents like Thomas trying to get paid what they're worth because of the leverage that teams have in those scenarios. As Marks mentioned, Thomas isn't the only player having this kind of difficulty, but various insiders and experts have theorized that the former LSU Tiger is the most likely of the four RFAs to take the QO.
Thomas' QO, worth $5.99 million, would ensure that he would be an unrestricted free-agent during the 2026 class along with giving him veto rights to any trade over the course of the 2025-26 season. Thomas, 23, is coming off the best season of his career in which he averaged 24.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 34.9% from three-point land during the 2024-25 campaign.
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