{"id":5903,"date":"2025-07-19T12:59:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T12:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/5903\/"},"modified":"2025-07-19T12:59:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T12:59:11","slug":"cam-thomas-to-zach-lowe-f-you-on-empty-calories-ball-hog-comment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/5903\/","title":{"rendered":"Cam Thomas to Zach Lowe: \u2018F*** you\u2019 on \u2018empty calories ball hog\u2019 comment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cam Thomas is in the middle of contract negotiations with the Brooklyn Nets<\/a> on his next contract, which are at this point going nowhere according to both Jake Fischer and Brian Lewis<\/a>. The two sides have not had \u201csignificant\u201d talks, Fischer reported on The Steinline and Lewis, writing for the Post, quoted a league official as saying the team is in \u201cno hurry\u201d on free agent negotiations.<\/p>\n

And so when Zach Lowe on Wednesday discussed Thomas\u2019 free agency, it got the Nets shooting guard\u2019s attention. On his The Dunker Spot<\/a> podcast last week, the Ringer reporter had said: \u201cThe consensus on Cam Thomas \u2014 if there is one, and he\u2019s got some fans, and he\u2019s got some mega-detractors \u2014 but the consensus is kind of like Empty Calories Ball Hog.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas was decidedly not pleased…<\/p>\n

The consenus? F*** you and the consensus @ZachLowe_NBA<\/a> . This is most likely the same consensus teams who can\u2019t guard me and send double teams from jump ball . Why are we double teaming a guy who’s \u201cnot that good\u201d make it make sense please. https:\/\/t.co\/IrHNVHYqTc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Cam Thomas (@24_camthomas) July 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

And that wasn\u2019t the only newsy tweet from the 23-year-old. He took what may or may not be a subtle swipe at Sean Marks, the Nets GM, and his teammates…<\/p>\n

Last time speaking on some shit.
Empty Calories ? First off we were the 5th or 6th team in the east before my injury and trades. Can\u2019t control what the GM wanna do with the team \u2026 2nd ball hog? I was 2nd on the team in assists , not counting the Pgs traded away and traded for\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Cam Thomas (@24_camthomas) July 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Guess nobody was passin the mf ball . but just bring me up every time <\/p>\n

\u2014 Cam Thomas (@24_camthomas) July 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Thomas averaged 3.8 assists in 31.4 minutes last season, a respectable number for shooting guard.<\/p>\n

Thomas\u2019s tweets, his first in free agency, were responding to Sharif Phillips-Keaton of USA Today who had defended Thomas\u2019 game, offering some statistics…<\/p>\n

To suggest Cam Thomas\u2019 game (and personality) is polarizing is nothing new, but Thomas is in talks about his NBA career and so he\u2019s bound to be sensitive. Moreover, in the past several days, there have been various takes on his worth, not one of them particularly positive. Fischer, who previously reported that Thomas wants a deal that values him at $30 million a year, wrote this Thursday:<\/p>\n

Sources say that the Nets, in fact, have yet to even significantly engage their own restricted free agent: Scoring guard Cam Thomas.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Brian Lewis confirmed Fischer\u2019s report in a conversation with a source close to Thomas.<\/p>\n

Thomas has openly said he views himself as one of the best shooting guards in the league.<\/p>\n

A source familiar with Thomas\u2019 thinking said he does not consider himself inferior to Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million this upcoming season), Tyler Herro ($31 million) or RJ Barrett ($27.7 million).<\/p>\n

\u201cNo way,\u201d the source said. \u201cSo he could want $30 million, too,\u201d<\/p>\n

At the other end of the spectrum, a league source told NetsDaily last week that giving the 23-year-old more than $10 million would turn their \u201centire off-season goes from being amazing to shitty.\u201d <\/p>\n

And in an interview with Connor Long on the Brooklyn Boys podcast<\/a>, ESPN\u2019s Tim MacMahon suggested that the Nets might be playing hardball with Thomas. \u201cI would say Cam Thomas wants to be paid and apparently the Nets aren\u2019t eager to pay him.\u201d<\/p>\n

MacMahon told Long that Thomas remains \u201cpretty polarizing around the league,\u201d so the market for him might be limited, the same point that Jake Fischer made last week. \u201cWe know he can score, get bucks, but can he contribute to winning?\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, in an SB Nation NBA Reacts poll, out Friday, most Nets fans think Thomas is not worth much more than $20 million <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Moreover, Thomas has had injury issues, missing 73 games over the past two seasons, mostly due to hamstring issues.<\/p>\n

Lowe didn\u2019t mention the missed games in his assessment. The comments that offended Thomas were Lowe\u2019s summation. Here\u2019s the full transcript. H\/T Sharif Phillips-Keaton\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Thomas is one of four restricted free agents who are stuck in a bad place this summer. Other that their current teams \u2014 Thomas with the Nets, Josh Giddey with the Bulls, Jonathan Kuminga with the Warriors, Quentin Grimes with the 76ers<\/a> \u2014 there doesn\u2019t appear to be a market for any of them. One big reason is the the NBA\u2019s new CBA with its draconian limits for those teams over the first or second apron and the reality that only one team has cap space, the Nets.<\/p>\n

In theory, Thomas could seek a sign-and-trade to another if he is ultimately unhappy with a Nets offer and another team is willing to meet his demands, but that can get tricky for the receiving team which under most circumstances would become hard-capped. <\/p>\n

And the two sides have plenty of time to work things out. He can exercise his qualifying offer and play next year at $6 million and become an unrestricted free agent. <\/p>\n

Attempts to gain a comment from the Nets on Thomas\u2019s tweets failed. Lowe has not reacted.<\/p>\n