Overview
- With three starters out on New Year’s Day, Brooklyn started rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf while Cam Thomas came off the bench for 21 points in 23 minutes during a 120-96 loss to Houston, responding to his role with “No comment.”
- Head coach Jordi Fernandez praised Thomas’ scoring but said he needs “better defense” and “better playmaking,” reinforcing the staff’s expectations beyond point production.
- Kevin Durant urged a team to put the ball in Thomas’ hands and “build around him,” and former Nets teammate Dorian Finney-Smith said he believes Thomas deserves “at least 20 a year.”
- Thomas accepted the qualifying offer and is on track for unrestricted free agency, with reporting that Brooklyn’s top proposal was two years and $30 million with a team option as the front office prioritized versatile, pass-first prospects in the draft.
- After returning from a hamstring issue on Dec. 27, Thomas has produced as a bench scorer and was rested against the Wizards on Friday, while analytics highlight a very low assist-to-usage ratio and a negative defensive impact.