Cameron Johnson has come a long way. Many scouts thought that Johnson wouldn't amount to much when the Phoenix Suns grabbed him with the 11th overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, but here the sweet-shooting forward is, emerging as one of the more valuable forwards in the league due to his lethal efficiency from his deep. In fact, Johnson became valuable enough to the point where he was one of the primary returns in the trade wherein the Brooklyn Nets sent away Kevin Durant.

One major concern with Johnson is that he's already 27 years old, so it's not like there's plenty of room for him to get better still. But as it is, Johnson should be heavily sought after anyway, as outside the most dynamic shot-creators, 3 and D wings, and elite defensive big men, there's no more valuable archetype in the league than tall forwards who can stretch the floor.

Cameron Johnson's arrival in Brooklyn due to the Durant trade led to a career-best scoring output from the 6'8 sniper, ending the season strong despite being on the wrong end of a sweep against the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2023 NBA playoffs. What's additionally promising is that Johnson's efficiency didn't crater too much despite the heavier offensive workload.

Johnson's consistency makes him a strong candidate to command a long-term deal around the $80 to $90 million range, which has been the usual going rate in free agency for the best three-point specialists in today's NBA. Whether that contract comes from the Nets or another franchise is a different question entirely, although Brooklyn will have the right of first refusal as Johnson will be entering restricted free agency.

With that said, here are the 3 best destinations for the lethal marksman that is Cameron Johnson.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are at a point where they will need to remain as competitive as possible even after trading away both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving back in February. As one would recall, the Nets dealt away a slew of first-round picks when they acquired James Harden back in early 2021.

That reason alone should motivate the Nets to do what it takes to re-sign Cameron Johnson. Doing so will help them remain competitive, as Johnson's burgeoning offensive game sets him apart from the Nets' other more limited wings such as Royce O'Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Joe Harris.

To further strengthen the Nets' motivations, Johnson came as one of the primary returns in the Durant deal, in addition to the nascent Mikal Bridges. They will not want to lose one of their core pieces for nothing, especially when they can match any offer sheet that might turn Johnson's head.

For Johnson, he'll have plenty of touches in the Nets offense if he stays. Outside of Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, and Cam Thomas, the Nets don't have too many players who can create their own shot. Thus, an extension of Johnson and the Nets' relationship will be of mutual benefit.

Houston Rockets

For the past three years, the Rockets' focus has been on amassing as many talented players as possible in hopes of making the pieces of the puzzle fit down the line. And given their considerable cap space this offseason, they will have an opportunity to make a splash in free agency, with, perhaps, a reunion with James Harden on the cards.

However, Harden may simply be posturing to get a huge contract from the Philadelphia 76ers. If that ends up being the case, then the Rockets could very well turn their attention towards adding Cameron Johnson, enticing him with a huge offer sheet.

Johnson would help the Rockets immensely; after all, the Rockets finished the season with the second-least amount of threes made. Adding Johnson should make life on offense that much easier for the likes of Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun.

Detroit Pistons

One spot in the Pistons' starting lineup sticks out like a sore thumb — the starting 3. In the three years of their rebuild, they have acquired the likes of Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham to comprise their backcourt of the future, while Jalen Duren and Bojan Bogdanovic should be a solid frontcourt. But at the 3, they started the likes of Isaiah Livers, Eugene Omoruyi, and Rodney McGruder, fringe NBA players who are better suited to an end of the bench role.

This is why missing out on a top-three pick, which guarantees them out of the Brandon Miller consolation prize sweepstakes, was such a bummer for the Pistons. Nevertheless, they could still help fill the glaring hole in their lineup by tendering an offer sheet to Cameron Johnson, who, along with Bogdanovic, should help stretch the floor for the Pistons' young backcourt.