The Brooklyn Nets have a Cam Thomas-sized problem on their hands.
Like his fellow restricted free agents Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls, Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors, and Quentin Grimes of the Philadelphia 76ers, he faces a strange quandary as the offseason drags on.
Every NBA squad not named the Brooklyn Nets has nothing beyond a non-taxpayer mid-level exception (worth, at most, $14.1 million) available to sign any of these players to an offer sheet.
Here are the teams that could offer Malik Beasley more than the $7.2M DET can offer using his Non-Bird rights:
BKN: $15M in cap space
CHA: $14.1M NTMLE
CHI: $14.1M NTMLE
IND: $13.5M of NTMLE
MIA: $7.3M of NTMLE
OKC: $8.5M of NTMLE
SAC: $7.3M of NTMLE
WAS: $14.1M NTMLE
GSW could…
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 22, 2025
That essentially gives the Nets, Bulls, Warriors and 76ers most of the leverage in these protracted negotiations — although players can make things difficult by threatening to sign their qualifying offers rather than taking a new deal, which would make them unrestricted free agents next summer.
A 6-foot-4 LSU product, Thomas enjoyed a breakout 2023-24 season as a scorer on the lottery-bound Nets. Across 66 healthy contests for the 32-50 club (51 starts), Thomas averaged 22.5 points on .442/.364/.856 shooting splits, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.7 steals a night — all, at the time, were career highs.
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But Thomas was afflicted by health troubles on the 26-56 Nets last year. The 23-year-old was limited to a scant 25 healthy bouts, as he struggled with a strained left hamstring. Brooklyn finally shut him down for good in March.
The lingering question with Thomas is his upside. He can score in bunches, yes, but somebody needs to on these teams that are hardly trying to win. His skills as a distributor and defender leave much to be desired.
Cam Thomas #24 of the Brooklyn Nets waits for a free throw during the second half of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on January 02, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Cam Thomas #24 of the Brooklyn Nets waits for a free throw during the second half of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on January 02, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Fred Katz of The Athletic revealed that a poll of 16 NBA front office executives all had a variety of ideas for Thomas’ next move.
“On one side are the people who believe that Thomas’ gaudy numbers warrant a payday,” Katz wrote. “The highest average annual value proposed for him was $30 million a year. On the other are those who question if his score-first approach is conducive to winning.”
“This is the hardest one,” an executive when asked to project Thomas’ next contract.
A different polled executive opined that Thomas could ink a two-season, $32 million deal to stay with Brooklyn.
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“I wouldn’t be shocked if this was way lower or higher,” the executive said. “His scoring is very much ‘eye of the beholder.'”
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, however, had a more muted prediction for Thomas.
“Cam Thomas’ situation seems to be a decision between taking his qualifying offer or a two-year deal with the team option that is north of the qualifying offer from Brooklyn, somewhere around $14 million in average annual value,” Fischer said.
The Nets, again, still have more than that available in cap room.
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