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NBA trade season is in full swing, and the Brooklyn Nets remain one of the league's most obvious sellers. Cam Johnson headlines the rebuilding squad's list of trade candidates.
The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter is having a career-best season, averaging 19.4 points per game on 49/42/90 shooting splits. His elite movement shooting, secondary shot creation and adequate defense make him a fit for any contender.
Numerous teams have inquired about Johnson's availability leading up to the Feb. 6 deadline. League sources told ClutchPoints that Brooklyn is asking for multiple first-round picks in a deal. With two years left on Johnson's contract at $21.5 million annually after this season, the Nets have made it known that they're comfortable holding the 28-year-old past the deadline.
With that, we offer five realistic trades for Johnson before the deadline buzzer sounds.
5 realistic Cam Johnson trades before deadline
San Antonio Spurs
The trade: Harrison Barnes, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2025 first-round pick swap (worse of San Antonio and Atlanta) for Cam Johnson
The Spurs just made a splash, pairing De'Aaron Fox with Victor Wembanyama. However, they lack shooting around their star duo. San Antonio ranks 22nd in three-point percentage this season. Johnson would provide a seamless fit as a spot-up and movement shooter alongside Wembanyama and Fox.
Following Sunday's blockbuster trade, the Spurs still have a surplus of first-round picks. They also have Harrison Barnes' $18 million salary, which fits as a one-for-one match in a trade for Johnson. In this deal, San Antonio gives up Barnes and a 2029 first-round pick. They also swap the worse of their first-round pick (currently 11th) and Atlanta's first-round pick this year (currently 10th) for Milwaukee's first (currently 20th), which Brooklyn acquired in this summer's Mikal Bridges deal.
The Nets eat into their 2025 cap space by absorbing Barnes' contract, which has one year left after this season. However, they pick up a future first-rounder and give themselves another potential lottery pick in June's draft.
Indiana Pacers
The trade: Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith and a 2028 first-round pick (top-5 protected) for Cam Johnson
The Pacers are one of the NBA's hottest teams following a shaky start. Rick Carlisle's squad has won 17 of its last 22 games and sits fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. Following last year's run to the Eastern Conference finals, Indiana is looking to upgrade its roster ahead of another playoff push.
Johnson would fill a need.
While the Pacers rank seventh in three-point percentage (37.5) this season, they lack high-volume outside shooting. They attempt 34.1 threes per game, the 26th-most in the NBA. Johnson's presence would bolster those numbers as Indiana looks to keep pace offensively with the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.
In this trade, the Pacers give up Toppin and Nesmith and a protected future first-round pick. The Nets are prioritizing expiring contracts in trades as they look to maintain their league-leading cap space this offseason. While Toppin and Nesmith have several years left on their deals, they should have trade value, allowing Brooklyn to expand the trade before the deadline or flip them later on.
If Brooklyn attempts to trade for a star in the next year, both are young enough to be complementary pieces for the team's next iteration.
Orlando Magic
The trade: Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, a 2026 first-round pick (top-5 protected) and a 2027 first-round pick swap for Cam Johnson
The Magic are in dire need of offense amid a 5-14 stretch that has dropped them to eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. They rank dead last offensively during that span, behind the tanking Nets and Washington Wizards. While Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were sidelined during the first half of the losing skid, Orlando ranks 29th offensively over its last five games (1-4) with both back in the lineup.
The Magic attempted to address their three-point shooting deficiency this offseason by adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. However, he's had a down year, converting 31.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Orlando remains at the bottom of the league in three-point efficiency, shooting 30.3 percent (30th) on 36.6 attempts per game (17th).
Johnson's presence would open the floor for Banchero and Wagner while increasing the quality of Caldwell-Pope's three-point looks.
In this trade, the Magic use Anthony and Harris to match salaries while parting with a future first-round pick and a first-round pick swap. Harris is on a $7.5 million expiring salary, allowing the Nets to add to this summer's cap space. Anthony is under contract for $13 million next season before a team option in 2026-27.
Detroit Pistons
The trade: Tim Hardaway Jr., a 2027 first-round pick (top-8 protected) and a 2030 first-round pick swap for Cam Johnson
The Pistons are attempting to make the playoffs for the first time in over five years. They're currently seventh in the Eastern Conference at 25-24, largely thanks to an All-Star campaign by Cade Cunningham. The possibility of a top-six seed has league executives thinking Detroit could pivot from absorbing bad contracts into their cap space for draft picks to improving their roster at the deadline.
The Pistons improved their floor-spacing by signing Malik Beasley this summer. A Johnson trade would add another proven three-point shooter under team control for the next two seasons next to Cunningham.
In this trade, the Pistons part with the 32-year-old Hardaway Jr., a protected future first-round pick and a first-round pick swap. Hardaway Jr. is on a $16.2 million expiring contract, allowing the Nets to add a significant chunk to their cap space. Brooklyn also picks up a pair of future draft assets from a Detroit team that, while improving, has struggled to stay competitive over the last decade.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The trade: Kenrich Williams, Ousmane Dieng, Nikola Topic, and a 2027 first-round pick via Denver (top-5 protected) for Cam Johnson
League executives have viewed Oklahoma City as a prime landing spot for Johnson leading up to the deadline. The Thunder have separated themselves as the favorite in the Western Conference, have a surplus of draft picks and could acquire the Nets sharpshooter without breaking up their core.
While Oklahoma City holds the NBA's second-best record, a Johnson addition would add a playoff-tested floor spacer to a young rotation.
In this trade, the Thunder use Williams and Dieng as salary-fillers while parting with Topic, the 12th pick in last June's draft, and a future first-round pick from the Nuggets. Topic has not played this season while rehabbing from a partially torn ACL. While the 19-year-old is likely at least two years away from making an impact, league executives told ClutchPoints that Oklahoma City is very high on his potential.
Despite this, parting with three players at the bottom of their rotation and one future first for a player of Johnson's caliber would be tough to pass up. The Nets get an intriguing young prospect in year one of a rebuild and add to their stash of first-round picks.
