Should Nets' Cam Thomas Be Considered a Trade Piece Amid Rebuild?

Brooklyn's star is just 23 years old, but various factors could result in the team shipping him off before he enters unrestricted free agency.

Oct 27, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) handles the ball against the Houston Rockets during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets have clear goals this season amid the rebuild. It's never fun watching your team lose, but it's what comes with the process. The Nets at least have a foundation for the future with an immense amount of cap space and draft capital.

This season, Brooklyn will focus on setting itself up for a top pick in 2026, developing the rookies, and building trade value regarding its veterans. While players like Terance Mann and Nic Claxton highlight the top trade candidates at the moment, Cam Thomas is a name that could be heavily mentioned in rumors later in the season.

The biggest why Thomas could end up in trade talks leading up to the February deadline is due to the failed contract negotiations from this summer. The 23-year-old received a lot of criticism from the media amid desiring more than $20 million per year.

Because the Nets didn't want to give him that much money, and because the rest of the teams were thin on cap space this summer, Thomas returned to Brooklyn on the $6 million qualifying offer. The 23-year-old is back to putting up big scoring performances, but things feel different with the Nets having an even younger core around him.

Sean Marks and company drafted a league-record five first-round picks, and even though the development process has involved low minutes and players moving to the G League, they are clearly the priority right now amid the rebuild.

Thomas, who could very well end up leaving Brooklyn as an unrestricted free agent in 2026, has a no-trade clause this season. Even if the Nets find a suitor for him, barring the market and state of the team, the 6-foot-3 scorer could shut down any movement.

However, if the potential suitor is a team that Thomas would sign with in free agency, likely a more competitive organization, he could also let it go through.

It's all speculation right now, and Brooklyn is barely underway with its season. However, given the organization's priorities and the way the offseason negotiations went down, it can't be guaranteed that Thomas remains a Net for the entire season.

The main idea is that the team won't want to lose him in the offseason for nothing. If the Nets do, they'd miss out on future assets that could add to the rebuild. For now, Thomas will continue to try to prove he can produce at an effi