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USA Today
03-08-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Nets receive C- from ESPN for 2025 NBA offseason moves
The Brooklyn Nets have been making some moves throughout the 2025 NBA offseason as they are looking to improve from a 26-56 record following the 2024-25 campaign. Two of the biggest moves that Brooklyn made this summer was trading for forward Michael Porter Jr. and trading for forward Terance Mann and the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft that became forward Drake Powell. Some pundits didn't like the Nets' offseason. "Given the Nets' commanding position as the only team with more than $30 million in cap space this summer, their return has been underwhelming," ESPN's Kevin Pelton wrote when explaining his grade for Brooklyn's offseason moves. Pelton gave the Nets a C- grade for the moves that they made and it seems that most around the league were not impressed by Brooklyn trading for Porter. "Brooklyn did net a 2032 unprotected first-rounder from Denver and can hope to rehabilitate Michael Porter Jr.'s value," Pelton continued. "The Nets also landed the No. 22 pick with Terance Mann prior to the draft, but keeping all five first-round picks and using them largely on players whose games don't seem complementary was confusing. Brooklyn still can create $20-plus million in cap space, and we'll see whether additional deals materialize before training camp." Pelton makes some valid criticisms of the Nets' offseason, especially when it comes to how much cap space they had during a summer in which few teams had enough money to offer free-agents more than the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (NTMLE), valued at $14.1 million for the 2025-26 season. Brooklyn did not use their cap space to go after available talent, but rather rented out their cap space to other teams in exchange for players and/or draft picks. For example, the Nets gave up $15.5 million to take on Mann along with the 22nd overall pick and essentially used about $17 million worth of space to take on Porter, including having to part ways with forward Cam Johnson, who was coming off a career year. With that being said, Porter and Mann are two players who can help the Nets next season on the floor and getting two first-round picks along the way could be part of the plan for general manager Sean Marks and the front office.
USA Today
30-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former NBA guard Jeff Teague reacts to Nets' Cam Thomas' free-agency
Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas still remains unsigned despite the fact that the Nets have reportedly offered him a two-year contract for the Non-taxpayer Mid-level Exception (NTMLE) or around $14.1 million per season. Brooklyn and Thomas have not been having productive negotiations as of this writing and a former NBA player gave his take on the entire situation. "It's always been that role. That's why this is no shade when I'm saying this. But, when you get put in that mode, in that role, you always get underpaid," former NBA guard Jeff Teague said on his "Club 520" podcast. Teague was referring to the fact that part of the reason Thomas is having a hard time getting paid what he wants this offseason is due to teams believing that he is just a scorer and not much else, similar to former NBA guard Lou Williams. "Even like Jordan Clarkson and them, they're getting paid. But, 14, 15, 16 million, that's about your range. It ain't far off. The Nets ain't disrespect him really," Teague continued. "But, for him, maybe he signs the qualifying offer ($5.99 million), he goes out there and he kills. For me, I'm signing that deal. Give me a player option, whatever it is, and I'm going out and I'll outplay it because you always want to solidify that first one." Essentially, Teague admits that the situation Thomas finds himself in is not conducive to him getting paid what his production over the past couple of seasons should earn him in negotiations. Over the last two seasons, Thomas is tied with Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard for 24th in the league in points per game with 24.9, putting the former LSU Tiger amongst some of the better scorers in the NBA. During the 2024-25 season, Thomas had the best year of his four-year career as 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. Unfortunately for Thomas, he came into the offseason as a restricted free-agent, meaning that the Nets have the right to match any offer made by another team for his services. Between the Nets' $14.1 million per year offer and the QO, Thomas has some tough decisions to make.
USA Today
26-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What are the reasons for the Nets to pay Cam Thomas what he wants?
Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has been getting his first taste of NBA free-agency and based on all of the reports, the experience isn't going well for him. Given that Thomas is a restricted free-agent, Brooklyn has the leverage when it comes to signing him, but there appears to be disagreements over how much Thomas should be paid this summer. Brian Lewis of the New York Post recently reported that the Nets and Thomas are at a standstill within their contract negotiations and it seems that the issue could come down to how much money Brooklyn pays Thomas per season. Lewis made a point to note that Thomas views himself in the same tier with players like Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro, two players that are making around $30 million per year. The question at this point of the offseason is whether or not the Nets should pay Thomas what he's asking for, especially at a point in the summer where no other team can currently offer him anything close to what he's asking for. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported recently on a Bleacher Report livestream that Brooklyn has offered Thomas as many as two years on a new contract for the Mid-Level Non-Taxpayer exception or $14.1 million per season. Assuming that the Nets indeed proposed that deal to Thomas, it seems that the reason he remains unsigned is because he either wants more years, more money, or both. During the 2024-25 season, there were a few reports projecting Thomas to get somewhere between $20 million per year and $30 million per year due to how well he played when he was available and what the market could have dictated for him. The Nets and the Utah Jazz are the only teams with cap space, otherwise known as positive cap space for the purpose of this article, but there are plenty of other teams with access to the NTMLE. With Brooklyn able to match any offer sheet that Thomas gets from other teams, it seems that the former LSU Tiger is most likely playing next season with the Nets, but time will tell if it will be on a new contract or on the $5.99 million qualifying offer.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What is the status of Nets RFA Cam Thomas heading into summer league?
The Brooklyn Nets officially made guard Cam Thomas a restricted free-agent on June 29 and it seemed that the ultimate goal was to bring him back to the Nets. However, as Brooklyn heads into its first game of the Las Vegas Summer League on Thursday, Thomas remains unsigned without much noise surrounding the negotiations and there could be a reason why. "I would say Cam Thomas wants to be paid and apparently, the Nets aren't too eager to pay him. I think that's probably the simplified view of that whole situation," ESPN's Tim MacMahon said during his appearance on "The Brooklyn Boys" podcast with Connor Long. Thomas is one of four restricted free-agents that seem to not have much of a market with the way that they remain unsigned by their respective teams. "He's a pretty polarizing player around the league," MacMahon continued. "The guy obviously can score like he can get buckets. Can he contribute to winning? I think is a big question around the league. My guess is that he is back in Brooklyn when next season starts, probably not on a long-term deal. I think there might be kind of a compromise between the parties where he's back and it's more of a short-term situation to allow him to get out into the unrestricted free-agency market at some point in the not-too-distant future." One of the more interesting storylines to watch for when it comes to the Nets and Thomas is how much he can command from Brooklyn given that the Nets were the only team that could offer more than the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (NTMLE) heading into free-agency. The NTMLE is slated to be $14,104,000 million for the 2025-26 season so while Thomas would get a substantial raise, it wouldn't be what he and others expected him to get. One subject that MacMahon hit on is the fact that Thomas' value around the league seems to change depending on whose being asked for their opinion of him. "If you guys give Cam Thomas more than $10 million a year, entire off-season goes from being amazing to (expletive)," NetsDaily reported on Wednesday as how the opinion of Brooklyn's offseason would shift, according to NetsDaily's league source. Thomas seems to have hit free-agency at an unlucky time as most teams did not free up the cap space necessary to pay someone of his elk to a contract befitting of his talent, a deal around $20 million per year according to the general consensus during the season. Time will tell of Thomas ends up getting a contract of that magnitude, but if he doesn't, his stay with the Nets could be short-lived as he's entering his prime.
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Nets FA Cam Thomas likely to sign deal worth $25 million annually
The Brooklyn Nets have plenty of decisions to make this offseason as they seek to significantly improve the roster before the beginning of the 2025-26 NBA season. Brooklyn not only has to think about who they will be taking in the 2025 NBA Draft, but they also have to worry about what they will do in free-agency. "Several sources have indicated he's likely to command a deal as high as $100 million over four years, well in with first rank shooting guards at his age," NetsDaily reported on what Nets guard Cam Thomas is expected to earn in free-agency this summer. Thomas is a restricted free-agent this summer after spending his first four seasons in Brooklyn after being taken with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft out of LSU. "Moreover, those same sources see Thomas signing as a priority for the Nets," NetsDaily continued. "Because of the Nets monopoly on cap space and the new CBA, the Nets aren't likely to have much competition for him." Many around the NBA have weighed in on what Thomas should command on the free-agent market, but it seems that he's likely to sign for somewhere between $20 million and $25 million per season. One fact to consider for anyone predicting Thomas' next contract is that he is a restricted free-agent, meaning that the Nets have more leverage than they would with an unrestricted free-agent thanks to the offer sheet matching mechanic. Granted, if a rival team wants Thomas bad enough, they could put forth an offer that Brooklyn may not want to match and Thomas would be playing with that team as a result. However, unless something significantly changes between now and when free-agency is in full-swing, the Nets are one of few teams that would be able to offer Thomas more than the Non-taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (NTMLE) of $14.105 million. Given the nature of how most teams won't be able to spend much money in free-agency this summer, Thomas could opt to sign with Brooklyn for the financial security.
