The Brooklyn Nets currently sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, placing 13th with a 6-17 record through the first couple months of the 2025-26 NBA season.

The Nets are more than likely to finish the season far out of contention, and ESPN’s Shams Charania believes they could part with fifth-year guard Cam Thomas — who will become an unrestricted free agent following this season — to plan for the future.

“Brooklyn could also work with Cam Thomas’ agents at Octagon to navigate his future, potentially via trade, as he plays the remainder of the season on the qualifying offer and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer,” Charania writes.

Thomas, 24, hasn’t played since Nov. 5 following a hamstring injury, but had a solid start to the season before being sidelined. He averaged 21.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game through his first eight healthy starts of the season. He has also averaged 20 or more points in each of the last three seasons. With his $6 million salary, Thomas would represent a smart addition to any team, and could add a new level to a contending offense.

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While Thomas is a prolific scorer with an elite skillset, the Nets have done well in his absence, especially as of late. They’ve won three of their last four games, and Charania reports they’ve seen plenty of improvement among their five first-rounders from the most recent NBA Draft.

“The Nets, who made five first-round picks in June’s draft, have seen rookies progress in their development, including Egor Demin and Danny Wolf,” Charania writes. “Third-year forward Noah Clowney is also having a career season so far, averaging 13.3 points, 3.8 assists and 36.1% from 3.”

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Should the Nets part with Thomas to add another pick to their vast collection or a younger player with upside and build around some of their more controllable assets — such as 26-year-old center Nick Claxton or their aforementioned five first-rounders —they could very well field an exciting, competitive team in the next few years.

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