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The Brooklyn Nets are interested in acquiring a second lottery pick in this month's NBA draft. Already in possession of No. 8, the team is exploring a trade that would send Cam Johnson and No. 19 to the Toronto Raptors for No. 9 or the Houston Rockets for No. 10, according to NetsDaily.
The Nets would also absorb a “bad contract” into their cap space in such a deal.
Hearing Nets may want to move up from #19 to the lottery, offering CamJ and #19 to Raptors or Rockets for either Raps 9th or Rockets 10th plus a bad contract. That would give Nets two picks in top 10 (presupposing neither team would need picks for Giannis trade.)
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) June 4, 2025
Both rumored trade partners make sense as destinations for Johnson. The Rockets need offensive help after struggling during a first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors. And the Raptors are reportedly eyeing a big move this summer after trading for and extending Brandon Ingram.
It's not surprising that the Nets, who own picks Nos. 8, 19, 26, 27, and 36, are interested in moving up the board. NBA circles have expected Brooklyn to consolidate their stockpile and acquire a better asset, whether in this year's draft or the future.
However, the potential inclusion of Johnson in a trade with the Raptors or Rockets would be noteworthy for several reasons.
Nets exploring Cam Johnson trade with Raptors, Rockets to acquire second lottery pick
After re-acquiring their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks from the Rockets last summer, the Nets have two paths this coming season: tank for another top draft selection or fast-track their timeline with a star acquisition, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Trading a win-now player like Johnson for a second lottery pick while absorbing a bad contract would signal they're keen on the former.
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While the Nets paid a surplus to re-acquire control of their next two drafts from Houston, they've yet to commit to a full rebuild. Their interest in Antetokounmpo was well-documented this season. However, removing a veteran like Johnson in favor of a 19-year-old rookie would signal a turning of the page for Brooklyn.
Several teams inquired with the Nets about a trade for Johnson at this year's deadline. However, Brooklyn was reluctant to part with the sharpshooting forward. General manager Sean Marks held a similar stance during his exit interview.
“There’s so many ways you can build this with Cam Johnson. You want high-character individuals here, and that’s exactly what he is. He’s a high-character guy who you’re gonna see consistency from every day. We’re in zero hurry to move on from players like that,” he told ClutchPoints. “We all know this is a business, and having those upfront, honest conversations with players is important, but I think the next step for Cam is to take on more of a leadership role. We just talked about that this morning with him. He carries a big voice, and he’s well-respected by his teammates. They love him, and he’s about the right stuff. If you wanna look at, what is a Net? That’s what you want.”
Asked Sean Marks about Cam Johnson’s leadership role and potential trades:
“There was no shortage of teams calling on him… But I can’t think of a pathway that Cam doesn’t fit in… He’s a high character guy who you’re gonna see consistency from every day. We’re in zero hurry to… pic.twitter.com/CEII6F0oEE
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) April 14, 2025
While Marks and the Nets are high on Johnson's skill set and leadership, his trade value is unlikely to be higher than it is this summer.
The 28-year-old is coming off a career-best season during which he averaged 18.8 points and 3.4 assists on 48/39/89 shooting splits. He and Desmond Bane were the NBA's only players to average at least 18 points on such efficiency.
If the Nets were to pull off a deal sending Johnson and No. 19 to the Raptors or Rockets, they would enter next season with two top-10 selections, several other young prospects, a healthy cap sheet and a stockpile of future draft picks.
Not a bad position to be in.
