The Brooklyn Nets are ripe for a fire sale now that they're embracing a rebuild in the aftermath of trading Mikal Bridges away. The next player that's most likely to depart the team via trade is Cam Johnson, a versatile 6'8 forward whose primary calling card is his top-tier ability to space the floor. Johnson, even though he's set to make around $68 million over the next three years, should draw plenty of interest on the market, with the Golden State Warriors being one of the teams interested in the Nets forward, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
The Warriors, however, aren't among Johnson's main suitors, with Lewis calling them a “dark horse” contender to trade for his services along with the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors. However, those three aren't the only ones vying for the Nets forward's services, with the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, and Orlando Magic reportedly being “interested” as well.
Cam Johnson endured a bit of a down 2023-24 season amid the Nets' disappointing 32-win campaign. He averaged just 13.4 points per game on 44.6 percent shooting from the field, worse numbers than the ones he put up following his arrival in Brooklyn via the Kevin Durant trade. But Johnson remained a high-level marksman from deep, making 2.4 triples a night last season on a 39.1 percent clip, rescuing his overall scoring efficiency with a 58.2 true shooting percentage.
Any team that will be trading for Johnson (potentially the Warriors) should be wary of his injury history, however. Johnson dealt with a few nagging injuries last season that limited him to just 58 games, and his hip injury history was what gave teams some pause during the 2019 NBA Draft.
Will the Warriors make a move for Cam Johnson?
It must be said that the Golden State Warriors won't be making any other moves this offseason until the Lauri Markkanen situation gets resolved. The Warriors continue to be in hot pursuit of the Utah Jazz star, although the Jazz have remained steadfast in their asking price, which has caused a standstill in trade negotiations.
If the Dubs end up not getting Markkanen, then perhaps they could look into acquiring Cam Johnson from the Nets. Andrew Wiggins has been on a downturn over the past two seasons, and perhaps the Warriors view Johnson's shooting and off-ball impact as something more useful than anything the current version of Wiggins can give.
Nonetheless, with the Warriors signing Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson, it's not like they're in dire need of what Johnson brings to the table. Johnson's combination of size and shooting is impressive, but is he worth giving up the 3-and-D upside of Wiggins for, especially after how well Wiggins played during the Dubs' 2022 championship run? Wiggins is only 29 years of age, so it's not like he's way past his prime.
Among Johnson's reported suitors, the Lakers, Kings, and Magic make the most sense as a potential destination for the Nets sharpshooter. LeBron James-led teams always benefit from high-level floor-spacing, the Kings are in need of a three-and-D wing with the departure of Harrison Barnes, while the Magic's greatest kryptonite continues to be outside shooting, which Johnson can help with in spades.
If anything, the Magic should make a move, as this could also help them consolidate talent amid a few positional logjams. But with the injury-prone Jonathan Isaac already on the roster, the idea of acquiring Johnson may give them some pause.
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