The Brooklyn Nets will be without guard Cam Thomas for Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic, as he’s been ruled out due to personal reasons. The timing is hard to ignore-just hours before the NBA trade deadline hits at 3 PM EST. According to a league source, Thomas wasn’t on the team’s flight to Orlando, adding more fuel to the speculation surrounding his future in Brooklyn.
Two Eastern Conference contenders-the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks-have reportedly shown interest in the 24-year-old scoring guard. And while that doesn’t guarantee a move, it’s certainly notable given the context.
Thomas holds a no-trade clause after signing his $6 million qualifying offer this past offseason, so any deal would need his approval. That clause gives him a rare level of control for a player on a one-year deal, and it’s part of what’s made his situation one to watch since the summer.
The writing has been on the wall for a while. Thomas and the Nets couldn’t come to terms on a contract extension before the season, with reports indicating he turned down a two-year, $15 million offer that included a team option. Instead, he bet on himself with the qualifying offer-a move that now positions him to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
But the season hasn’t exactly gone according to plan.
Thomas came out of the gates hot, starting the year as Brooklyn’s leading scorer. Over the first seven games, he lit it up for 24.4 points per game, shooting 40.8% from the field, 35.6% from three, and 87.5% from the line.
The problem? The Nets didn’t win a single one of those games, going 0-7 while posting a league-worst 128.5 defensive rating.
As electric as Thomas was offensively, the team couldn’t stop anyone.
Then came the hamstring injury in game eight, sidelining him for nearly two months. And during that stretch, Brooklyn started to find some footing. The Nets went 9-12 in the 21 games Thomas missed, and more importantly, their defense tightened up-ranking sixth in the league with a 111.7 defensive rating.
Since his return, though, it’s been a different story. Brooklyn is just 4-17 with Thomas back in the lineup, and the defense has slipped again-now second-worst in the league at 120.9 over that span.
His role has changed, too. No longer a starter, Thomas has been coming off the bench and seeing reduced minutes.
Over his last 16 games, he’s averaging 12.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting just 39.8% from the field and 30.6% from beyond the arc.
It’s a tough spot for a player who clearly has scoring talent but hasn’t quite found the right fit in Brooklyn’s evolving system. A change of scenery might be exactly what he needs to reset and reassert himself-especially with free agency looming. Whether that move comes before the deadline remains to be seen, but with interest from playoff-bound teams and his current role diminished, Thomas’ future with the Nets is very much in question.