Nets' Cam Thomas playing for this season and possibly his future in Brooklyn
Cam Thomas of the Nets is guarded by Jamal Shead of the Toronto Raptors during preseason game at Barclays Center on Fri. Oct. 18, 2024. Credit: Errol Anderson
On the eve of the Nets starting their season Wednesday at the Hawks, no player stands to gain more this year than Cam Thomas.
The Nets need his scoring as the team’s best option to create shots for himself. Thomas needs to show the Nets he can have a positive impact besides scoring.
It’s a relationship that grew last season but still has questions about long-term commitment. It wasn’t surprising, then, that the Nets didn’t extend Thomas ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. deadline to do so.
Thomas wasn't bothered by it as his mind was focused on a new season, not the future.
"Just getting ready to play the Atlanta Hawks. So that's all I'm focused on” Thomas said after practice. “I don't really care about all the extra stuff. Just worried about trying to get a win.”
The decision made sense for both parties. The Nets are using this season to evaluate who’s part of this team going forward while eyeing an offseason where they have at least $60 million in cap space, the most of any team.
For Thomas, he can use this season to raise his value. It’s no secret he can score with anybody and he averaged a team-best 22.5 points last season, his first with real rotation minutes.
He’ll get more scoring opportunities on a Nets team expected to struggle. but he’ll also get ample chances to prove he can build on the facilitating and rebounding he showed last year.
If he does more of the latter? Perhaps it’ll convince the Nets he has a future with this next era.
But what’s clear is both parties are on good terms heading into the season.
“I think he's in a good place, and I didn't see anything that I should go and talk to him about it,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “I think he's been great, he's done his job, and we have clear path and direction for what we’re trying to do.
For Thomas, facing the Hawks is a reminder of a key part of his development. The Hawks defended him well last season by blitzing him more on screens and forcing him into bad shots. Thomas shot 3-for-10 in his lone game against them. Teams followed suit by pressuring him more and he learned to adjust.
“I'm more prepared on how the defense will guard me, just being on top of the scouting report on the offensive end,” Thomas said. “Just knowing that's just the responsibility that it comes with, so I just have to be ready for whatever they might throw at me.”
How Thomas handles that won’t just affect the Nets’ season. It affects where he stands after this season
He shrugged off feeling more pressure about it and Thomas is approaching this season with the same attitude he showed at media day.
Eyes on the present, not the future.
“I’m worried about the season, how we're going to get wins, and how I'm going to play this year,” Thomas said in September. “So I'm not really worried about the extension in any sort so that doesn’t really concern me.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
