A Young 24 Point Per Game Scorer Is Expected To Hit Free Agency Next Summer

NBA free agency has changed. No longer are teams recruiting huge free agents with giant contracts in the offseason. Now it is all about the trade-and-extend game. Even unrestricted free agency has changed. Once a way for teams to surely lock up their young talent for the future, that is no longer a sure thing. 

That was seen most obviously with the recent Cam Thomas signing in Brooklyn. Thomas was a restricted free agent, and instead of making more guaranteed money on a long-term contract with the Nets, he opted to take the qualifying offer. This move is a bet on himself. If Thomas has another great season, he believes he can get bigger money on the unrestricted market next season. One NBA insider revealed that he doesn’t expect that contract to come from Brooklyn. 

“Thomas opted to play out the coming season on the $5.99 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. It almost certainly points to a departure. Generally speaking, a player taking the qualifying offer signals the marriage being over, not just the honeymoon.”

It sounds like we can expect Thomas to be on a new team next season. The question is, who wants to give Cam Thomas a prominent role and a big contract?

It is difficult to predict who may be interested in Thomas. He is a proper bucket getter. He averaged 24 points per game last season and shot nearly 35% from three. He also averaged 3.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. 

Those numbers sound impressive, but many believe they may be empty calories. Thomas has yet to prove himself as a defender or a winner. This means that the big role and payday he is expecting next offseason may be a bit of a dream.