Why Blazers Should Target a Cam Thomas Trade, If Nets Are Selling

The young wing is said to be on the market.

Jan 17, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Jabari Walker (34) is called for a foul during the second half against Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Young Brooklyn Nets combo guard Cam Thomas is said to be on the trade market.

The Nets are in the midst of yet another rebuild, after All-Stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden forced their way off the team across the span of a year or so. Brooklyn at present wants to accrue major draft equity and this season, meaning the team should be open to offloading all of its talented veterans.

Now, that group apparently also extends to the club's top scorer, Cam Thomas. Since the Nets traded Mikal Bridges over the summer, the 23-year-old LSU product has taken on the club's scoring burden. Thomas is averaging a career-high 24.6 points on .458/.392/.865 shooting splits, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists a game. He's also trying to mandate something of a heliocentric offense, and frequently tends towards iso scoring at the expense of his comrades.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Nets are "expected to be open for business" when it comes to trades, while Thomas "is widely considered to be available" for the highest bidder. Amick also noted that point guard Dennis Schröder, small forward Dorian Finney-Smith, and sharpshooting combo forward Bojan Bogdanović could all be on the block, too. Wing Cam Johnson and center Nic Claxton — who just inked a four-year, $100 million contract extension with Brooklyn this summer — could also be on the table.

Under new head coach Jordi Fernandez, Brooklyn has gotten off to a competent 6-9 start, identical to Portland's. But in the inferior Eastern Conference, that's good enough for the No. 8 seed. In the West, that makes the Trail Blazers the No. 13 seed.

Portland is in the asset accrual business, yes, but Thomas is the kind of high-upside young prospect who — like Deni Avdija before him — aligns with the age timelines of the Trail Blazers' anticipated young core of 20-year-olds Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan and 21-year-old Shaedon Sharpe.

The 6-foot-6 Sharpe ostensibly also plays the position as Thomas, but Sharpe's athleticism and length could mean they would be able to share the floor together in some capacity. Perhaps Thomas could even play at the point, though he's not a traditional passing guard. But he's a top-notch talent, even if he has a proclivity to hold the ball. It might behoove Portland to see what it would cost to acquire his services.

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