Opening the lock to scoring efficiently in the NBA is not something every player that gets drafted or signed from overseas has the keys to. It is a challenge, regardless, and most players have grown up practicing for hours a day and at night to perfect their bag.
However, a rare few players are gifted with the ability to score naturally. This is their talent, where all they have to do is stay in practice and prevent their game from getting rusty, as putting the ball in the hoop is like second nature.
But, if scoring is all that can be produced, the value of these players on the market is at an all-time low, especially when looking at the figures in millions, side by side, compared to ten years ago.
That said, this can be used as a major advantage for the Clippers next summer as they could look into signing their ideal shooting guard in free agency.
The LA Clippers could sign Cam Thomas next summer to a bargain contract
This summer, the Brooklyn Nets’ star scorer, Cam Thomas, was a restricted free agent. He averaged 24.0 points in 25 games last season, and broke out in 2023-24 with an average of 22.5 points in 66 games.
Thus, teams interested in Thomas’ scoring production are aware that he can help any team, starting or off the bench, in draining shots. He did it at LSU and had an easy route to adjusting as a youngster, having once been co-workers with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving.
Furthermore, these three future Hall-of-Fame players took off, and Thomas had the league tuning into the Nets’ games because of what he could do with the ball. In fact, on February 6th, 2023, the former first-round pick gave Kawhi Leonard and Paul George 47 points on 29 shot attempts.
Conversely, Thomas waited for higher offers around the league in July and August, with the Nets having the opportunity to match, but nothing appealed to his senses, and he re-signed with Brooklyn on a one-year, $5.99 million deal.
The money may not have been there because Thomas is strictly just a scorer and cannot defend effectively. If next season he replicates the same mindset of getting buckets, and that is it, the LA Clippers could offer him under $10 million annually, with a high possibility that he signs.
This contract would be excellent for the Clippers, as they are an elite defensive team, and need someone young who can score the basketball without trying.