It’s taken Cam Thomas almost seven weeks to get cleared to go 5-on-5. There’s no telling how long it’ll take him to get back into a game.
After Thomas suffered yet another hamstring injury Nov. 5 — his fourth since the start of last season — he finally was cleared for 5-on-5 work Saturday. But head coach Jordi Fernández was non-committal about when his guard would go full contact, much less play in a live game.
“CT is doing great. He had his 5-on-5 [Saturday], looked really good,” Fernández said. “And he’s going to continue to do that until we feel he’s ready to go.
It is unclear when Cam Thomas will return to action for the Nets. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“[He was] a big part of the non-contact with the rest of the team. Played a 5-on-5, and it’s just a matter of when. We’re not targeting a specific date, but we want to see how he feels and then go to the next session, see how he feels, and then keep building from there. So obviously, the No. 1 priority is him and his body. And whenever he’s ready to help the team, he will.”
That vagary opens up serious questions. The Nets are 0-7 with Thomas but improved to 8-12 without him, looking objectively better. They’ve had the NBA’s best defense this month and played an egalitarian offense.
Two different league sources who spoke with The Post suggested Brooklyn could look to move Thomas before the Feb. 5 deadline.
Nic Claxton got forced out of Sunday’s win with a facial injury but returned to notch 12 points and seven rebounds.
After taking a first-half elbow to the face from Brandon Ingram, Claxton returned in the second half with four stitches and a bandage that he eventually ripped off.
“Yeah, it was just in my vision. And there was no need for me to have it on,” said Claxton, initially called for a foul on the play with 7:26 left in the half. “I thought we should’ve challenged it because I just got elbowed. … So we got them to reverse the call, so I guess it was worth it.”
Nic Claxton attempts to drive past Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili during Dec. 21, 2025 game. AP
Claxton got a sizeable gash but was relieved to avoid a broken nose.
“It was fine. I was just happy I didn’t break my nose honestly because I break my nose like once a year,” he said. “So the stitches there, right in the middle of my face, it’s manageable. So I’m glad it was no worse than that.”
Follow all the basketball buzz in Brooklyn
Sign up for Inside the Nets by Brian Lewis, exclusively on Sports+.
Thank you
Nolan Traore, the only one of the Nets’ five first-round picks to be largely relegated to the G-League, got his first notable playing time since October. He had a career-high eight points, three boards and two assists in 22:18, his longest stint since Oct. 27.
“I was waiting for this game, and I just took the opportunity they gave me,” Traore said. “I think I did good, and I hope it will continue.
“The more you play, the more you get confidence, and [Sunday] is a great example.”