Cam Thomas broke his silence on the qualifying offer he signed with the Brooklyn Nets this summer after weeks of speculation. The LSU product admitted that his contract talks with the team were “frustrating,” as he reportedly declined a two-year, $30 million offer.
Many believe that signing the qualifying offer is a risky gamble for Thomas, who will be an unrestricted free agent next year. However, he said during the Brooklyn Nets’ media day that controlling his destiny was his top priority.
“At the end of the day, I felt like there were more pros to me taking the QO than me taking any other deal. You just wanna keep that power that you have as a player as much as you can, as long as you can,” Thomas explained.
“So I think that was really the main deciding factor in me taking the qualifying offer… You wanna keep that little bit of power that you have in that QO if you don’t get the long-term deal. So I think it was a good deal for me, and it works out both ways,” he added.
Brooklyn Nets GM dishes on Cam Thomas’ decision to take the qualifying offer
Many expect Cam Thomas to play out his final year with the Brooklyn Nets this upcoming season before he can join another team next summer. However, general manager Sean Marks said he remains open to the idea of bringing back the fifth-year guard.
“He’s approached this in a very mature manner. It’s part of the business, maybe the ugly part of the business, when you can’t find a common ground. But at the same time, how he’s developed and the hours that he’s put in the gym, not only here but on his own, speak volumes,” Marks said about Thomas via ClutchPoints’ Erik Slater.
“He’s a Net. He knows that… I think we both sides understand what’s at stake. But I also don’t want to jump to conclusions. Just because a common ground couldn’t be met this summer, doesn’t mean he’s not a Net in the future or throughout the season,” he added.
