Four years removed from his NBA Finals appearance with the Phoenix Suns, Cam Johnson has returned to the NBA spotlight. After he spent last season as the face of the tanking Brooklyn Nets, an offseason trade to the Denver Nuggets sent Johnson from the NBA's basement to the forefront of the championship race.

While the return to relevance was a welcome sight for the veteran, he said he never asked the Nets to trade him during last year's tanking season.

“It’s not my M.O. I’m not a ‘grass is greener’ person,” Johnson told Andscape's Marc J. Spears. “I’m more a ‘water where you are’ person. When I got traded to Brooklyn, we were a playoff team. I hated the idea of trying to weasel my way out after being on a team and then being traded and going south. So, I was there to stick it out in terms of trying to build culture and an identity and a program. And I just kind of took it day by day. When my number was called to get traded I was ready to go. But otherwise, no, I never asked.”

After joining the Nets alongside Mikal Bridges midway through the 2022-23 campaign, Johnson signed a four-year, $94.5 million contract during the 2023 offseason. The team hoped that he and Bridges could be the building blocks of its next era.

Cam Johnson beginning new chapter with Nuggets after Nets tenure

Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) drives with the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Chase Center.
Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

However, Brooklyn struggled the following season, firing head coach Jacque Vaughn midway through the year. Following the letdown campaign, the Knicks made a godfather offer for Mikal Bridges. The Nets accepted, simultaneously trading for their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks back from the Houston Rockets and setting themselves up to tank the following season.

Despite the Nets' tanking agenda, Johnson was not traded during the 2024 offseason. After Brooklyn dealt veterans Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith early in the season, Johnson was at the center of trade speculation leading up to the deadline. However, the team held onto the sharpshooting forward, who was in the midst of a career-best season.

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While he was an out-of-place veteran on a rebuilding team, Johnson emerged as the most respected voice in Brooklyn's locker room. General Manager Sean Marks raved about the veteran's leadership capabilities entering the offseason.

“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 move on from players like that,” Marks said. “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, he’s well-respected with 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.”

Despite Marks' comments, the Nets finally cashed in on Johnson this summer, trading him to the Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick. The deal cemented Brooklyn's tanking direction for this season, while allowing Johnson to play a pivotal role for a Denver team looking to win its second championship.

Johnson struggled over Denver's first 11 games, averaging 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 37.2 percent shooting from the field and 21.2 percent from three. However, he's turned in his best performances of the season during his last two appearances.

The 29-year-old scored 19 points while knocking down five threes during the Nuggets' loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday. He posted 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field with five assists during Wednesday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans.