Following a breakout campaign as the leading scorer for the Brooklyn Nets, Cam Thomas will have a larger role this upcoming season. 

After the Nets faced the Los Angeles Clippers at the Thomas & Mack Center during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Thomas spoke with HoopsHype about the fallout from the Mikal Bridges trade, his extension talks, the return of Ben Simmons, the adjustment with new coach Jordi Fernandez, the re-signing of Nic Claxton, and more. 

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Cam Thomas: Maintaining what I did last year but increasing it more. I want to go into more of a leadership role. I’ve been on the team the second-longest behind Nic Claxton. I’m going into my fourth year, and he just finished five years. More of that leadership role trying to lead the guys.

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CT: It’s been good. He’s very smart. He’s very detailed. I think he’ll be good for our young team. I think we’re going the young route, so that’ll be good for us because he’s all about the details and pushes us to be great. I can’t wait to actually get to work with him.

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CT: Having more opportunity to play with the ball in my hand and showcasing that I can do that. Most people saw the second half of the year that I was a totally different player with my playmaking, rebounding, and defending. I’m trying to maintain that throughout the whole year because I’ll have the opportunity to do that and have that stability throughout the whole year. It’ll be good.

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CT: Showing I could do that really helped me and showed that I’m more than just a scorer. I feel like going into that role to start the year will be much better because I can do that for a whole season.

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CT: You definitely think about it, but it’s not something I’m pushing for. Whatever happens with the organization happens. I can’t control that. The only thing I can control is going out there and playing the best basketball I can play. Whatever happens will happen. I’m not really pressed on it. Whatever happens will happen. You never know what could happen. As of right now, I’m not really pressed on it. I want to keep improving my game to get ready for next season.

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CT: I think a lot of people saw what Noah could bring last year towards the end of the year with his defending, being a lob threat, making an open three if we kick it to him. I think Dariq is still trying to figure his footing out in the league. It’s been a while since he’s played. He’s been hurt a lot. He has time. He’s really young. The potential is there. With Jalen Wilson, everyone saw him crashing the glass, bringing energy, and he can knock down an open three when you kick it to him. He’s a very good utility guy. He could definitely help us for sure.

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CT: It’s good. It gives us stability as a team. We’ve basically got the same team, just without Mikal (Bridges), and we added three players. It’s good to have that continuity and that stability because the last few years, I’ve had a different team every single year. It’s crazy.

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CT: We’re not going to treat this as a rebuild as people say we’re doing. We’re going to go out there and compete and try to win every game. If we lose, we lose. We’re not going to throw games. We’re going to compete hard. It’s going to be entertaining and exciting with good, young Nets basketball. I can’t wait to see it.

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CT: I wouldn’t say it’s motivating. I’d say it’s just more that we’ve got to prove it at the end of the day. I don’t think anybody in the locker room is going to lose every game. If they do, that’s a big problem. The way I’m built, I go out there to win every game. Teams have got to beat us. We’re not going to roll over and just let teams beat us by 30 because we’re young. We played a lot of close games last year, especially towards the end of the year when we played a lot of good teams.

The team we have now as we stand is basically the same team. Cam Johnson. Me. Dorian Finney-Smith. Nic Claxton. Ben Simmons. Dennis Schroder.

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CT: I count on it every year he’s on the team. I’m expecting him to be healthy and be ready to play. I’m not going into every year saying he’s not going to play. Never. He’s on the team, and I think he’s going to be healthy to play to start the year off. Whatever happens during the year happens. To start the year off, I feel like he’s going to be ready to play.

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