We’re back on Cam Thomas Watch and there’s nothing really new — he still hasn’t exercised his qualifying offer and Jake Fischer reiterates that the Brooklyn Nets have yet to engage him. More specifically, they have not made an “aggressive effort” to keep him.
The Nets’ Cam Thomas might be the most likely of the four notable restricted free agents out there — along with Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga and Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes — to take the bet-on-yourself option and accept his qualifying offer.
Brooklyn has not made an aggressive effort to retain Thomas on any long-term deal, sources say. Sources also say Thomas is showing an increasing interest in playing out next season on a $6 million qualifier for the right to enjoy true free agency next summer.
The newsiest part of the three-paragraph item is not what he “might” do, but that Fischer has updated the status of whatever talks the two sides have or have not engaged in. It was nearly a month ago, on July 17, that Fischer wrote that the two sides “have yet to even significantly engage” in contract talks. So now, we presumably have new information that there’s nothing new. So it goes.
Should that be a surprise? Not really if you believe as some — including us — have written that Sean Marks & co. are still looking for ways to make good use of their cap space which depending on how draconian Marks wants to be with non-guaranteed deals etc. is between $22 and $41 million per Yossi Gozlan.
As we’ve noted ad infinitum, the Nets can wait till the very end of free agency to deal with CamT since they have the luxury of being able to use Bird Rights outside of cap space to sign him. With all the hand-wringing, it’s easy to forget that Keith Smith quoted a Nets coach as saying, “We love Cam. We think he’s one of the best scoring guards in the league, and an underrated playmaker. We’ll see what happens, but our feelings about Cam as a player and person have never wavered. We love him.”
That quote came four days after Fischer wrote of the failure of the Nets to “seriously engage” in talks. Was that about timing? We don’t know, but it sure seemed like a way for an anonymous coach (who seems likely to be Jordi Fernandez), considering similar comments he’s made about Thomas in the past.
Now, what do we make of Thomas’ reported willingness (“an increasing interest”) to exercise the QO? It could indeed mean that Thomas is fed up with the front office and wants to move on OR it’s a negotiating tactic. A “better get this done or you MIGHT lose me!” kind of thing.
The QO would not be a good move — for anyone — in our opinion. The Nets would lose a lot of leverage in keeping someone they reportedly “love” who along with Michael Porter Jr., their only accomplished scorer. Should they feel a need to trade him, the return is likely to be very little. The fans — or at least a segment of the base — would be outraged that a homegrown product who the franchise developed is asserting that he’s willing to take less money just to be free of the Nets.
But it would also be a big risk for Thomas. He’s missed 73 games the last two years to hamstring issues, not an insignificant number for a 23-year-old. If he was again troubled by those issues … or others … he’d have even less of a market than he does now and no job security going forward.
Moreover, if he’s not traded, what’s the incentive for Jordi Fernandez to play him over the rookies, three of whom you may recall play the guard position. Remember as well that the team is tanking despite what you might hear from inside HSS Training Center. They’re not about winning or the here and now. They’re about losing and the future. It is a business after all.
Bottom line: if Cam Thomas exercises his QO, no one wins. That’s why we still believe that ultimately, the two sides will engage significantly and that the latest from Fischer is actually part of engagement. Will the Nets wind up giving him $20 to $24 million a year? Doubt that, but there’s plenty of room to negotiate and again plenty of time. He still hasn’t exercised the QO. The official deadline is October 1 but if the Nets want to, they can extend that till March 1. Seems crazy that it will take that long.
And we note that back in 2004, most pundits thought that Kenyon Martin would reach a settlement with New Jersey and stick around the Continental Airlines Arena. He didn’t obviously, signing a five-year, $92 million deal with Denver. Martin got his deal but he never reached the heights he had with Jason Kidd. So we wait and wait.
We tweeted about this on Saturday, how the Nets seem to be no longer swayed by small ball. There’s a lot of length on the current roster, as measured by their wingspans:
Michael Porter Jr. 7’0”Day’Ron Sharpe 7’0”
That makes nine players with 7-foot wingspans, a surefire positive. In addition to the nine, Egor Dëmin measured out at 6’10.25” as did Dariq Whitehead, Ricky Council IV at 6’10”, Tyrese Martin 6’9”, Ben Saraf at 6’8.7”, Jalen Wilson at 6’8.25” and Nolan Traore at 6’8”.
But of the rookies, Drake Powell really stands out, a +7 wingspan since he’s listed at 6’5”.
What does all this mean? The Nets will play big, starting with Demin, 6’8.5 in bare feet and 6’10.5” wingspan at the point. They should be decently athletic too, with a number of young players including the rookies. In the days after the Draft, Jordi Fernández described Traoré as the fastest player in the 2025 NBA Draft, while Sean Marks called Drake Powell the most athletic. In the NBA combine, Powell finished first among all participants in the max vertical leap (43 inches) and standing vertical leap (37.50). He also finished seventh overall in the shuttle run (2.79 seconds), eighth in the three-quarter sprint (3.07) and ninth in the pro lane agility drill. Of course, we don’t know how much he will play in Brooklyn vs. in Long Island with the G League squad.
The Nets may hold another distinction as well this season. The player with the shortest wingspan in the NBA, at least according to 2K ratings, is Tyson Etienne. He is followed by 5’8” Yuki Kawamura of the Chicago Bulls in second place.
Michael Porter Jr. goes deep
In his “Curious Mike” vlog this week, Michael Porter Jr. took a “pause” from basketball to talk about life, particularly his relationship with God: “Truth is I’ve been feeling far from God lately. The last two, three years, I don’t feel my relationship with God is where it needs to be,” he said to camera. “It hasn’t been the sole priority in my life. It feels like I’ve been going through cycles: good weeks with God, bad weeks with God.”
He noted that he, like a lot of Christians, struggle with their faith. “I struggle just like everybody else. You don’t know what part of your story is going to inspire other people,” Porter Jr. explained. “A lot of people who have the most in life are still unhappy. All of these earthly accolades don’t amount to anything at the end of the day.” He noted as well that at the beginning of the off-season, he decided to take some time off and go alone to Costa Rica, hoping to reconnect spiritually.
“The past couple of basketball seasons i just haven’t been locked in on my faith. This offseason, I went out to Costa Rica by myself,” he revealed. “It was a time for me to reflect on my life. I came to the conclusion that I always need to take a day for myself away from devices and reconnect.” describing mobile phones as “the devil… he can get to us through these devices.”
With the time away from his phone, Porter Jr. said that he read a book, The Power of the Names of the Holy Spirit by Tony Evans. He also discussed his biggest vice — which he described only as “women,” but didn’t provide any details. “God kind of gives to you what you’re prepared to handle,” he began. “I don’t think being with women all the time and sleeping around and doing stuff like that is cool. And I haven’t necessarily been doing that. But nevertheless, women has always been my vice.”
He also spoke about his brother Jontay’s troubles with gambling and money. “My brother Jontay, he never seems to struggle with that vice,” he said, referring to women. “I never struggled with the gambling addiction. I never struggled with that vice. God gave me a lot of money because maybe he figured I could handle it and not lose myself in that area. And maybe Jontay, he wasn’t able to be blessed with tons of money because he struggled with that area of idolization of money. I have not been blessed with a wife because maybe I have not been blessed to handle that because of my struggles.”
Of course, Jontay Porter, a former player with the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzles, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10, 2025, in New York for felony wire fraud, a charge stemming from his involvement in a sports betting scheme that led to a lifetime ban from the NBA. He could face jail time.
Bottom line? Porter Jr. said he’s going to try to “prioritize God.” He did not say how it would affect his season.
Dawn of a new basketball era in China
We expect the Nets will sign Fanbo Zeng to an Exhibit 10 deal this week, as Michael Scotto has reported. It’s another milestone in Chinese basketball. Fanbo will be the 10th Chinese player in the NBA and the third Chinese player on the Nets after Yi Jianlian and Jacky Cui (who is still rehabbing from last season’s ACL tear.)
It will be one of two milestones this month for Joe Tsai and his hopes to develop more Chinese players both in the NBA and FIBA. The Asian University Basketball League, of which Tsai is a big backer will debut a week from Monday. The Nets and Liberty owner has made a seven figure investment in the 12-team league.
The CEO and founder of the AUBL is Jay Li who had previously run the Joe Tsai Scholarship Fund that brings promising young Chinese players, both boys and girls, to top U.S. private schools for education and training. Before that, Li worked for the NBA, and the China Basketball Association as Yao Ming’s chief of staff.
Li has said of the AUBL that he hopes it will develop “Asia’s next Yao Ming, Asia’s next Jeremy Lin.” It’s good to have someone at the juncture of China’s basketball fortunes.
Hang in there as we take NetsDaily to its next level. Patience is a virtue ,both with the Nets and NetsDaily.