Just because the Brooklyn Nets are rebuilding and open for business doesn’t mean they should make trades for the sake of making trades. However, a recent article from Bleacher Report proposes the Nets do just that, swapping the electric Cam Thomas, just 22 years old, for disappointing Detroit Pistons’ shooting guard, Jaden Ivey.
Most NBA trades work like this, a contending team and a rebuilding team get together to exchange veteran talent for future assets. Sometimes, due to salary complications, a third team is brought in to provide filler and receive scraps. Rarely do two rebuilding teams trade directly with each other, and when they do it’s to smooth out roster imbalances.
For example, Team A has too many young bigs so they swap one with Team B who has a glut of young guards. However, a straight-up swap of a young shooting guard for another young shooting guard is almost unheard of.
For Detroit, this makes a lot of sense
The Pistons have been rebuilding for what feels like forever. As currently constructed, they see point guard Cade Cunningham as their future as they look to build around him. Unfortunately, one year after drafting Cunningham No. 1 overall in 2021, they selected Jaden Ivey number five overall, who has proven to be an awkward fit next to their young floor general.
The ideal backcourt complement to Cunningham is an explosive scorer with the range to knock down shots beyond the arc as well as create his own shot when defenses focus in on Cunningham. Ivey, averaging 15.8 points per game for his career while shooting just 33.9% from beyond the arc is not that player. Cam Thomas, who last season put up 22.5 points per game while shooting 44.2% from the field and 36.4% from three is, however. That kind of scoring pop would only be accentuated next to a near-elite facilitator like Cunningham
For the Nets, this would be a disaster
Even with Mikal Bridges on the roster last season, Cam Thomas was the team’s best offensive player who at times could only be locked down by former Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn. As a starter last season, the young Thomas was even more efficient averaging 23.6 points per game and shooting 37.5% from deep as opposed to just 31% coming off the bench.
Thomas is already an elite scorer, and if he continues his development he’ll become a true star. Ivey on the other hand hasn’t shown any elite skills. He’s a streaky shooter and an inefficient scorer. He may be a bit better facilitator than Thomas, but that’s not to say that his playmaking skills are a real strength. He’s young and has an impressive draft pedigree, but right now he’s mostly conjecture versus Thomas who, at worst, is a proven three-level scorer at the highest level.
Essentially this comes down to the Nets trading a proven commodity (which still has room to grow) for an unproven one that maybe has the potential to be a more complete player down the road. Beyond that, the only tangible benefit is that Ivey has one more year than Thomas remaining on his rookie contract, a nonfactor for the Nets who have oodles of future cap space once Ben Simmons’ contract expires.
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Cam Thomas is a building block, not a trade chip
The Nets would be wise to build around Thomas, rather than sell him off. He’s an ascending player for a team that’s looking to rebuild on an accelerated timeline. Pair him with an elite playmaker who’s also a secondary scoring threat, some 3-and-D role players, and the athletic, defensive-minded bigs already on the roster and it’s not hard to see the makings of a contender.
Thomas still has a lot of room to grow, and that growth should come in Brooklyn, not elsewhere.
