As the majority of NBA teams conclude their free agency moves ahead of the new season, Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas remains unsigned. The 23-year-old scorer, despite impressive performances in the 2023-24 season, has yet to receive a contract offer, making him a notable restricted free agent who remains available.
Potential Fit with Utah Jazz Faces Questions from League Insiders
Among a limited group of teams with sufficient salary cap space, the Utah Jazz have been mentioned as a possible interested party in pursuing Thomas. The Jazz’s combination of young talent and cap flexibility presents an intriguing scenario for acquiring a prolific scorer like Thomas. However, an NBA scout familiar with the Western Conference expressed skepticism about the Jazz’s genuine interest in the guard.
Grant Afseth from FastBreakJournal reported that a Western Conference scout believes, although Utah controls the rights to make an offer in restricted free agency, Thomas does not align well with the team’s long-term goals. The scout emphasized that Utah’s focus is on building a roster centered on defense, size, and versatility, rather than acquiring a pure scorer like Thomas.
As of July 25, the Utah Jazz are the only team aside from Brooklyn with meaningful spending power,
Afseth wrote.
Utah holds the cards for restricted free agency if they want to. It’s not just Cam, but he’s one of the RFAs who I don’t see as being appealing for the Jazz. They’re building around defense, size, and versatility,
the scout added.
Cam is a pure scorer, but he doesn’t fit the long-term vision they’re selling internally.
—Western Conference scout
Thomas’s Style and Utah’s Strategic Direction Misalign
While Thomas’s timeline as a young player corresponds with Utah’s rebuilding phase led by executive Austin Ainge, the fit remains imperfect. Thomas demonstrated his scoring prowess during a shortened 25-game stretch last season with the Nets, averaging 24 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 43.8% shooting. Despite these strong offensive numbers, his playing style contrasts with Utah’s pursuit of defensive strength and positional versatility.
The Jazz already have promising scoring options and several young guards to develop in their backcourt, which further diminishes the appeal of adding another high-volume scorer who does not contribute significantly to their defensive emphasis. Utah’s front office appears to prioritize roster construction around players who can enhance length and defensive flexibility over offensive specialists.
Future Contract and Team for Cam Thomas Remain Uncertain
The next phase in Thomas’s career is still unfolding, as it remains unclear which team will ultimately secure his services or what type of contract he will receive. Despite having the financial means to pursue him, the Utah Jazz seem unlikely to make a decisive move given the mismatch with their strategic objectives. This ongoing situation highlights the complexity restricted free agents like Thomas face when market conditions and team philosophies do not align.