Jan. 20, 2026, 9:15 p.m. ET

The Brooklyn Nets came into the 2025-26 NBA season with an interesting situation on their hands as they had to figure out what the future will be with guard Cam Thomas. Thomas was a restricted free-agent this past offseason, but he and Brooklyn were unable to come to terms on a multi-year deal so he accepted his $6 million qualifying offer (QO). The two sides parting ways seems likely, however.

“But eyes should be on Cam Thomas, with every sign pointing toward his time running out in Brooklyn. He’s lost his starting job, seen his playing time reduced, and neither situation seems about to change,” Brian Lewis of the New York Post wrote of what Thomas’ standing with the Nets is like at this moment. Thomas started Brooklyn’s first eight games of the season before missing the following 20 games due to a left hamstring strain.

“After their failed contract negotiations this past summer, forget the honeymoon being over. Every sign is pointing toward divorce,” Lewis continued. “Now Thomas & the Nets? Most league observers that spoke with The Post see it as a foregone conclusion, whether at the Feb. 5 trade deadline or in the offseason.”

Thomas, 24, is averaging 17.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 40.5% from the field and 34.8% from three-point land in his fifth season in the league. At one point in his career, specifically from 2023 to 2025, Thomas was seen by some as a player that could earn himself a significant pay raise due to his scoring prowess, but his first stint in restricted free-agency didn’t go as he expected.

Since this past summer, Thomas’ value around the NBA seems to have diminished to the point that the big payday he was hoping for may never come. Now, Thomas seems more likely to be playing for a different team than the Nets next season. Even if Thomas isn’t offered more money in unrestricted free-agency than Brooklyn would be willing to pay him, it’s possible that the relationship has deteriorated to the point that he wouldn’t come back.

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