When the Nets decided to move on from superstar forward Mikal Bridges in a blockbuster deal with the crosstown rival Knicks, it set the franchise even further into the rebuild they’ve been undergoing over the past few seasons.
With a leader and talent of Bridges’ caliber now residing on the other side of town, others will have to step up to carry the load for the young and hungry Nets this season.
Interest Cam Thomas.
Thomas has quickly emerged as one of the game’s rising talents since being selected in the first round of the 2021 Draft, growing more comfortable with each passing game at the professional ranks.
The LSU product truly broke out this past season when he finished seventh in Most Improved Player voting after averaging a team-high 22.5 points in sporadic minutes while shooting 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point land.
He also made his own bit of history along the way, as he became the youngest player in league history to drop 40+ points in three consecutive games.
Thomas truly took the next step as a scorer, but he’ll be expected to lead the team in much more than just points this year with even less established production surrounding him on both ends of the court.
While it will certainly be a bit of a daunting task, the 22-year-old says he’s ready to take on the added responsibility.
“I’m not really worried about it at all,” Thomas said in a recent interview with SLAM magazine. “I’ve kind of been having those roles as a leader on the team ever since I was in high school and college. I’m just excited to get it going and to try to do it in the league.”
While expectations remain extremely low heading into this season, Thomas is ready to do whatever he can to help the team each night.
“The goal is just to be better,” he said. “We don’t know what our team will look like heading into next season, but whatever it looks like, we just want to be the best team we can be and put a good product on the floor for Brooklyn.”