What to Make of Cam Thomas's New Role and His Future With the Nets

Cam Thomas's flaws were well known before the start of the season. He's a unique talent, but at times, that isn't as much of a positive as many believe.

Last season, Thomas averaged 24 points on 44-35-88 shooting splits in just 25 games. A hamstring injury kept him out for most of the season, which didn't bode well for his restricted free agency last summer. There were still questions regarding his defense, playmaking and overall impact on winning. It resulted in him taking the $6 million qualifying offer.

This season has been even stranger for Thomas. He started the first seven games of the season before re-injuring his hamstring, which kept him out from Nov. 5 until Dec. 27.

Since returning, Thomas has come off the bench, and at first, it appeared to be a great thing for him and his camp amid trade rumors. However, the inefficiency and lack of intangibles have only been accentuated over the last three weeks.

Since returning, the 24-year-old is averaging 15.2 points, 2.8 assists and two rebounds per game on 42-36-83 shooting splits. Many believed that a smaller role would limit his number of misses and allow him to gel with this relatively young team, but it's been quite the opposite.

There are still possessions where he's dribbling excessively, taking contested shots and lacking playmaking or defense. A new role that could have boosted his trade value amid rumors has only damaged it.

Cam Thomas' teammates can't STAND playing with him.

Peep bro in the corner 😭 pic.twitter.com/jFtKPipG8H
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) January 10, 2026

Most recently, Thomas put up eight points and four assists on 23.1% shooting from the field in a 112-109 win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. When the buzzer sounded, Thomas appeared to immediately head to the locker room, whereas his teammates walked onto the court for normal postgame activities.

There's a reason the Nets are reportedly likely to get an empty trade market for Thomas, as the deadline sits just a few weeks away. Rumors have continued to surround Michael Porter Jr., but he has been uber-efficient in a bigger role, putting up 25.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on 49-41-84 shooting splits.

Did Cam Thomas just walk out to the locker room after getting the win?

He looked more disappointed they got the win than the rest of the bench. He's committed to the tank I guess #Netsworld pic.twitter.com/fmZTb2MBzy
— Jeri Tsai (@JeriTsaiNets) January 17, 2026

So what does the future hold for Thomas and his time in Brooklyn? It doesn't feel or appear that the organization would find a deal for the shooting guard ahead of Feb. 5, but anything can happen. It seems like everyone has figured out who he is as a player; there are few people left who actually believe in Thomas's potential as a leading scorer on a competitive team.

If the Nets hold on to Thomas through the rest of the 2025-26 season, he'd enter unrestricted free agency in the offseason. Keep in mind, he also has a no-trade clause right now, so he'd have to approve of any departure if Brooklyn wants to move him this year.