Looking back at Cam Thomas' Career as a Brooklyn Net

Five years, 239 games played, two playoff appearances and 3,630 points scored. Cam Thomas' name may not be inked in any record books, but he undoubtedly has a legacy as a Brooklyn Net.

The Thomas era is over in Brooklyn after the front office decided to waive him after a trade couldn't be made before the deadline. Instead of proverbially holding Thomas hostage for the rest of the season, they decided to let him go and search for a new team that has more concrete plans for the young scoring phenom.

Now that he's gone, let's look back at some of the highs and lows of his time with the Nets.

Thomas' NBA career began at the 2021 NBA Draft, when Brooklyn selected him with the 27th pick in the first round. He joined a Nets team with eyes set on contention. This was the final season of the big three, including Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden –– the latter requested a trade before the 2022 deadline.

The rookie still managed to carve out a role off the bench as a microwave scorer. Thomas played 17.6 minutes per game across 67 games, which ended up being the most games in a season that he played while in Brooklyn. He scored 8.5 points per game on 43.3% field goal shooting.

Thomas' role didn't increase in his sophomore season, but his production did. On less minutes per game, he averaged 10.6 points per game on a career-best three-point percentage. Once the Nets made it to the playoffs, Thomas was almost entirely removed from the rotation, just like he was in his rookie season.

Year three was when he finally got a chance to hold the reins of the team. Durant and Irving were gone, leaving Mikal Bridges, Nic Claxton and Thomas as the new trio. Thomas started a career-high 51 games, averaging over 30 minutes per game. His season averages were 22.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game on a career-best 44.2% from the field. A lingering ankle injury caught up with him towards the end of the season that ruined Brooklyn's play-in chances.

Lower body injuries continued as a problem into the 2024-25 season –– specifically a hamstring injury –– where Thomas only played 25 games. When he did play, he reached new heights with 24 points, 3.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.

After that short-lived season came a contract year for Thomas, and a stressful offseason trying to get a deal done on both sides. He was seeking upwards of a $30 million annual salary, but the Nets' front office was unwilling to give up that kind of franchise-altering money. Thomas ended up signing his $6 million qualifying offer as a prove-it year going into the 2026 offseason.

Injuries bogged him down again, specifically a muscle tissue injury that left him out for the majority of the early season. Thomas played 24 games before being waived, 16 of which came off the bench. He averaged 15.6 points and 3.1 assists per game on a career-low field goal percentage.

Age is still on Thomas' side, but he didn't fit the way Brooklyn's future was trending. It took five rookies in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, and Michael Porter Jr. filled the role of primary scorer with better efficiency.

Looking back on his time with the Nets, it was really the injuries that destroyed him. Thomas was on an upward trend in his third season, but it was constant injuries that affected his athleticism and efficiency afterwards.

If there's one thing Thomas will be remembered for in his time with Brooklyn, it will be his ludicrous scoring prowess intertwined with a calm demeanor. Now, every other team in the league has a chance to take a low-risk, high reward on the elite shot maker.