NBA Rumors: The contract that Cam Thomas could ask for from the team that wants him

Fred Katz, a journalist for The Athletic, recently surveyed 16 executives from different NBA franchises to find out what kind of contract they consider “fair” for the four main restricted free agents who have not yet signed.

Estimates had already been published regarding Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Quentin Grimes, though with a key clarification: teams tend to be more conservative than agents in their assessments, as they do not want to set precedents that could raise the value of their own players in the future.

This time, the focus was on Cam Thomas, a shooting guard for the Brooklyn Nets, who was the team's leading scorer this season with an average of 24 points per game (a career high), although he only played 25 games due to recurring hamstring problems.

According to Katz, Thomas was by far the most polarizing player of the four analyzed, and several executives admitted they were unsure if their opinion aligned with the rest's. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this number ends up well below or well above what he ultimately signs for,” said an executive who proposed a two-year, $32 million contract. “His scoring ability is very subjective.”

Unlike Kuminga, Giddey, and Grimes—where 15 of the 16 respondents suggested contracts of at least three years—only 8 executives did the same for Thomas. Furthermore, while the valuations for the other three players were relatively consistent (Kuminga: $17–25 million per year, Giddey: $20–25 million, Grimes: $12–16.7 million), there was much less consensus with Thomas.

The hypothetical offers not only varied in value for Thomas but also in structure: from “1+1” type contracts (two years and $40 million, but only the first guaranteed), to seven two-year proposals, five three-year, and three four-year deals. None suggested a five-season contract.

Executives' Opinions

The annual amounts ranged from $10 million to $30 million, with an average of $16.7 million per year, but only $42.7 million guaranteed on average.

Only two executives precisely agreed on their valuation: $20 million for two years, and both were also the most skeptical about Thomas's real value as a player.

On the other end of the spectrum, an executive suggested a “fair” three-year, $90 million contract but immediately clarified: “Personally, I wouldn't give it to him... But I justified it as ‘fair’ because if I were him, I’d say: ‘I’m better than Jalen Green,' and this is much less than what he got.”

It should be noted that Green signed a three-year, $105 million rookie extension last October. However, other scoring guards like Collin Sexton and Norman Powell were traded for quite modest returns, and Jordan Clarkson ended up terminating his contract with Utah to sign for the minimum with the Knicks after finding no takers.

For the Nets, Thomas is currently their best offensive option. They need points, although their true priority appears to be focused on the 2026 Draft, not immediate results. According to Katz, Brooklyn has all the leverage in the negotiation since they are the only team capable of making a good offer for now... and, for the time being, they don’t seem too eager to do so.

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