Cameron Johnson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Trading Michael Porter, First-Round Pick To Nets For Cam Johnson

June 30th, 2025 at 6:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets and Nets have agreed to a trade that will send Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Nets in exchange for Cameron Johnson, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The move will create significant cap flexibility for Denver. Porter is owed a little over $79MM across the next two seasons, while Johnson’s contract has a base value of $44MM over those same two years (he also has some unlikely incentives that count toward the tax aprons).

It also looks like a potential on-court upgrade for the Nuggets. While Porter is an extremely talented scorer and shooter who averaged 18.2 points per game on a .504/.395/.768 shooting line in 77 games for Denver in 2024/25, Johnson is considred a strong defender and is a pretty good scorer and shooter in his own right.

Johnson scored a career-high 18.8 points per game on .475/.390/.893 shooting in 57 outings for the Nets this past season. He also set a new career high with 3.4 assists per contest.

The trade will move the Nuggets’ team salary more than $13MM below the first apron, potentially opening up the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to use in free agency, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). That could be a valuable tool for a Denver team looking to add quality depth to support a strong starting lineup.

The Nets, meanwhile, will use a chunk of their cap room to accommodate Porter’s incoming salary — if they had been operating over the cap, they wouldn’t be able to swap Johnson straight up for MPJ and his $38.3MM cap hit.

The move will reduce their cap room to about $17MM, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks, though that number is fluid, depending on how the team handles its non-guaranteed contracts and whether either of the reported deals for Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams go into the room exception.

The unprotected 2032 first-round pick is clearly the prize of the deal for Brooklyn. Nikola Jokic will be 37 years old in 2032, and there’s no guarantee he’ll still be a Nugget anyway, so that pick has a good deal of variability and could turn into a very valuable asset.

Still, the Nets don’t view Porter as a mere salary dump. They’re excited about the former lottery pick – who celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday – and intend to keep him, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

Scotto’s Latest: Thunder, Pacers, Kings, Barrett, Rockets, Wolves, KD

June 23rd, 2025 at 4:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Their seasons ended less than 24 hours ago, but the Thunder and Pacers will have significant roster decisions to make in the coming days, and executives around the NBA are keeping an eye on both teams to see how they’ll handle them, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The Thunder have the ability to essentially run it back with their same roster, since 13 of their players are on guaranteed deals for next season, while the team holds cost-effective options on the other two. However, Oklahoma City also has multiple first-round picks at No. 15 and No. 24 and could be facing a roster crunch.

According to Scotto, rival executives believe the Thunder may either trade the No. 24 pick for a future first-rounder or use it to select a potential draft-and-stash prospect like Hugo Gonzalez or Noah Penda. Execs also view former lottery pick Ousmane Dieng as a possible trade candidate as he enters the final year of his rookie scale contract, Scotto notes.

Meanwhile, with Tyrese Haliburton potentially sidelined for all of the 2025/26 season after tearing his Achilles, people in league circles are wondering if the Pacers and team owner Herb Simon are still prepared to go into luxury-tax territory in 2025/26 to re-sign Myles Turner and keep their roster intact, says Scotto. There’s an expectation that rivals will inquire this summer on the trade availability of role players like Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker, Scotto adds.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Although a Sacramento Bee report over the weekend indicated that the Kings haven’t yet engaged in trade discussions about Malik Monk, Scotto hears from sources that the team has gauged the market on both Monk and Devin Carter as it seeks a potential first-round pick and a point guard upgrade. Sacramento was unwilling to move Carter when the club talked to the Nets about Cameron Johnson prior to the trade deadline, Scotto writes, but Scott Perry has replaced Monte McNair as the Kings’ head of basketball operations since then and may not be as attached to last year’s No. 13 overall pick.
According to Scotto, the Raptors have continued to gauge the trade market for forward RJ Barrett. The former No. 3 overall pick hasn’t come off the bench since his rookie year in 2019/20, but could be the odd man out of Toronto’s starting five with Brandon Ingram set to make his Raptors debut this fall.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, who spent a season with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, was in favor of the Celtics trading for Durant during his time in Boston and advocated for Houston to acquire the star forward this summer, per Scotto. In addition to reuniting with Udoka, Durant will be teaming up again with friend and fellow Texas alum Royal Ivey — the Rockets assistant interviewed for the Suns‘ head coaching vacancy and turned down interest from the Grizzlies and Spurs for assistant coaching positions, Scotto reports.
In addition to being concerned about Durant’s lack of enthusiasm for Minnesota, the Timberwolves didn’t want to lose Rudy Gobert, a Suns target in trade talks, which is why the Wolves didn’t end up beating Houston’s offer for the 15-time All-Star, Scotto explains. Giving up Gobert and potentially having Durant play alongside Julius Randle in their frontcourt wasn’t considered an “ideal pairing defensively” for the Wolves, Scotto writes.

Nets Notes: Johnson, Trade Rumors, Draft, Bailey

June 19th, 2025 at 9:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After Memphis received a blockbuster haul of future draft assets from Orlando in its Desmond Bane trade, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link) considers how that could impact the Nets‘ return in a potential Cameron Johnson trade.

Johnson, 29, is a solid two-way player – if never an All-Star – and remains in his athletic prime. The 6’8″ forward, who established himself as a starter on a talented Suns team before being dealt to Brooklyn, averaged 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per contest in 57 healthy games for the Nets this past season. He posted a shooting line of .475/.390/.893.

As Lewis writes, Johnson isn’t the passer or rebounder that Bane is, and he’s three years older than the Magic’s latest addition. However, they posted similar scoring and shooting numbers this past season, and Johnson’s current contract is more team-friendly than Bane’s — the Nets forward is owed $44MM over the next two seasons, while Bane will make $163MM across the next four years.

NBA sources have repeatedly informed Lewis that they expect the 2025 offseason to be incredibly active, and that they anticipate Brooklyn will be heavily involved in trade activity.

There’s more out of Brooklyn:

Although Lewis tweets that he anticipates the Nets will explore ditching veteran salaries and getting involved in three-team trades, he has been informed that Brooklyn is also being floated in conversations about deals that the team has nothing to do with. According to Lewis, this is “predictable gamesmanship” in the offseason, and the Nets make for an easy subject of speculation due to their significant cap room.
The Nets’ name has been thrown around in the trade rumor mill so often, C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News opted to take stock. Holmes believes it’s quite possible Brooklyn gets involved as a third team to help facilitate a Kevin Durant trade out of Phoenix, but he’s skeptical the Nets will achieve their “Plan A” of acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee.
Although Rutgers wing Ace Bailey initially seemed to be out of reach for the Nets at the No. 8 pick, his recent refusal to work out for anyone seems to presage a drop in this year’s draft. Net Income of Nets Daily wonders if Brooklyn would trade up to nab the 18-year-old if he falls out of the top three picks — but perhaps not out of the top five.

Southwest Notes: Flagg, Rockets, Pelicans

June 13th, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Eli Cohen

Cooper Flagg, the presumed 2025 number one pick, is only visiting the Mavericks in the lead-up to the draft, Mark Medina of RG writes within an interview with Flagg’s trainer, Matt MacKenzie.

“He’ll be able to tour their facilities and learn about the organization as a whole,” MacKenzie said. “So it’s something he’s definitely looking forward to. It’s the only team he’s going to go visit. He’s very excited for it.”

MacKenzie confirms that Flagg’s workouts have included Kevin Durant and Chris Paul being in the same facility at times. Flagg got the chance to watch Durant work out, while Paul imparted advice primarily on how to adjust to the non-basketball side of the game.

“I think Chris Paul has been really helpful in sharing the different things that you need to be aware of when you’re coming into the league as a rookie in terms of how to manage your time off the court,” MacKenzie said. “During your downtime, you need to make sure you’re also treating your recovery with importance and understanding that 82 games is a long season… Being able to get that input has been incredibly valuable.”

Lauded for his versatile skill set, Flagg has taken part in workouts meant to prepare him for any and every role that his new team will ask him to play, according to MacKenzie.

We have more news from around the Southwest Division:

Despite a roster crunch and uncertain roles moving forward, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle is skeptical that the Rockets will put one of Tari Eason or Jabari Smith Jr. on the trade block this summer. In her mailbag, Lerner writes that it’s more likely that they have to decide between extending one or both of them and then reevaluating next year. Lerner also doubts that the Rockets will make a move for the Nets’ Cameron Johnson, both for salary cap reasons and because she views the defensive drop-off from Dillon Brooks to Johnson as something Houston would be wary of.
This is a big offseason for the Rockets, Keith Smith writes in his Spotrac offseason preview. While there has been talk about continuing to patiently build around the young core, there’s a sense that Houston’s success last season has led the team to consider fast-tracking the process. Deciding exactly how to handle the contract situation for Fred VanVleet, whose deal includes a team option, will be a crucial part of their summer, as will their ability to pull off a Kevin Durant trade. Smith writes that trying to retain Steven Adams should also be a high priority, as he was a pivotal part of their playoff run and proved to be a very effective backup.
The Pelicans have struggled at times to find the right balance of players to put around Zion Williamson, writes William Guillory for The Athletic. That includes finding an answer at the center position, which is why Guillory considers whether it would make sense for New Orleans to target Khaman Maluach with the seventh pick in the 2025 draft. This offseason is the first with Joe Dumars as the top decision-maker and will tell the league much about how he plans to proceed with shaping the roster. Guillory notes that the team found success using double-big lineups featuring Kelly Olynyk and rookie big Yves Missi last season, but it’s unlikely that Missi and Maluach could play together unless the Duke center enters the league much more advanced as a shooter than expected.

Nets Notes: Draft Trades, Johnson, Fears, Bridges Deal

June 4th, 2025 at 11:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets possess four first-round picks in this month’s draft, including the No. 8 overall selection. They are reportedly pursuing another top-10 pick, NetsDaily tweets.

According to NetsDaily, Brooklyn may try to move its second-highest pick at No. 19 and Cameron Johnson to the Raptors for the No. 9 pick or the Rockets at No. 10, taking back a “bad contract” in the process. However, both of those teams might be a little reluctant to move their picks before learning whether Milwaukee makes Giannis Antetokounmpo available, as Toronto and Houston are both regarded as potential landing spots for the Bucks’ superstar.

Here’s more on the Nets:

The Nets are positioned to follow the blueprint that led the Pacers and Thunder to the Finals, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Both of those organizations chose to find young, defensive-minded players with rotations that go 10-deep, rather than stacking three superstars and fitting low-cost pieces around them.
Oklahoma freshman guard Jeremiah Fears is ranked No. 7 on ESPN’s big board and NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan takes a long look at whether Fears could be the Nets’ long-term solution at the point. Kaplan notes that Fears, 18, had a high usage rate for an Southeastern Conference team and many defenders couldn’t stay in front of him, often resorting to fouling him.
In this year’s draft alone, the Nets acquired the Nos. 19, 26 and 36 picks from the Mikal Bridges trade. How they use those picks will help determine whether the Nets or Knicks wind up as the ultimate winner in the deal, according to another NetsDaily.com story.

Nets Viewed As Candidate To Move Up In Draft

May 27th, 2025 at 9:08am CST by Luke Adams

No NBA team has more first-rounders or total picks in the 2025 draft than the Nets, who currently control the eighth, 19th, 26th, 27th, and 36th overall selections.

According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link), Brooklyn’s collection of 2025 picks, combined with general manager Sean Marks‘ history of draft-day trades, “almost immediately” led to chatter at this month’s combine about the Nets looking to move up in the draft.

As Lewis details, there has been plenty of speculation about the possibility of the Nets trying to move up to No. 2, since they heavily scouted local star Dylan Harper, whose father Ron Harper also addressed the idea of a Brooklyn trade on Twitter. Additionally, the Spurs, who currently hold that pick, already have De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle in their backcourt.

However, one source told Lewis that reports linking the Nets to the No. 2 pick are “all BS and rumors,” while a separate league source who spoke to The New York Post said he can’t envision a scenario in which Harper ends up in Brooklyn.

If the Nets do move up from No. 8, the Sixers (No. 3), Jazz (No. 5), and Wizards (No. 6) are considered likelier trade partners, in Lewis’ view.

Multiple reports have indicated that the 76ers, specifically, would only consider trading that No. 3 pick in scenarios where they move just a few spots back in the lottery (rather than further back, or out of the first round entirely), since they still want to add a “dynamic young talent” to their roster. A deal with Brooklyn might fit that criteria.

Still, Lewis stresses that even if the Nets are exploring trading up in the draft, that doesn’t necessarily mean a deal would have to involve the No. 8 pick. In fact, giving up assets to move up two or three spots from No. 8 might not make sense in a draft that doesn’t have a clear-cut top tier of six or seven prospects, he adds.

The sentiment around the league, Lewis explains, is that Brooklyn might actually try to acquire a second lottery pick (perhaps further back in the top 14) by using some combination of the team’s other first-round picks (Nos. 19, 26, and 27), future draft capital, and/or veteran wing Cameron Johnson. The Nets will also have substantial cap room this offseason, so they could further sweeten any trade offer by agreeing to take on an unwanted contract.

Nets Notes: Offseason, Johnson, Claxton, Draft

April 15th, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending the 2024/25 season retooling their roster, are the Nets ready to jump-start their rebuild by attempting to acquire a star-caliber player this summer? Speaking to reporters in an end-of-season session, general manager Sean Marks didn’t rule out the possibility, but explained that if the team targets a maximum-salary player, he would have to fit a specific criteria.

“If you’re going after max-level talent, they have [to] automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team,” Marks said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “This can’t be like ‘Let’s go get this [guy] and lock ourselves into being a six or seven seed.’ When we go all in, you’re going in to compete at the highest level and contend.”

As Lewis notes, players like Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, and Domantas Sabonis have been the subject of some trade speculation, but Giannis Antetokounmpo has long been labeled the Nets’ “Plan A,” and the Bucks superstar fits Marks’ description of what an ideal target would look like better than any of those other players.

Of course, the odds are probably against Antetokounmpo – or an equivalent talent – becoming available this summer, which means the Nets may end up building their roster more patiently. Brooklyn will enter the offseason with multiple first-round picks, including a lottery selection, and the most cap room of any NBA team.

“We need to be opportunistic,” Marks said. “In this market we’re always going to have various different free agents and opportunities thrown at us, just simply being in a top-five market in the league; that’s going to happen. We don’t want to get sped up. We’ve talked multiple times about being systematic and strategic in how we build here. We know we have 15 first-round picks in the next six, seven years.

“So, there’s a lot of draft assets at stake. There’s a lot of cap room at stake. And how we use that, it’s probably too early to determine. But there’s a variety of different pathways we can go, and it’s just about being opportunistic as to how we build and when we go all in again, so to speak. And that could be going all in with whether it’s free agents or trades, but it also could be go all in with systematically growing some homegrown talent. We’ve done that in the past and grown some guys here, developed guys here, as well as attracted top-tier talent from elsewhere.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

The last time Brooklyn operated under the cap was in 2019 when they landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency. Marks believes the salary-cap and player-movement landscapes have changed in such a way during the last six years that repeating that sort of offseason is unlikely for any team, let alone the Nets. “I do think it’s important to have guys under contract that you control the contracts. You drafted them, you developed them, and they got to their second contract under your watch,” he said, according to Lewis. “It’s difficult when you’re trying to acquire max-level talent on max contracts. Those days are probably gone, of going and getting two or three max free agents. Those are gonna be more difficult to do.”
Viewed as one of the Nets’ prime trade chips leading up to February’s deadline, Cameron Johnson ultimately stayed put. In his exit interview, the veteran forward told reporters, including Lewis, that he “definitely” plans to ask Marks about his future in Brooklyn. “I’d definitely like to know everything that’s going on,” Johnson said. “And I understand that I’m not going to be let in on every decision or have a say in every decision, but I would like to know going forward.”
For his part, Marks said he can envision Johnson being a long-term building block for the Nets: “There was no shortage of teams calling on him. He’s a good player, and they value him, but so do we. I can’t think of a pathway or a team or an organization that Cam doesn’t fit in. There’s so many ways you can build this with Cam Johnson.”
Nets center Nic Claxton admitted that he was nagged by back issues all season, but he doesn’t expect to go under the knife to address the issue, per Lewis. “I still need to get right. It’s still bothering me, honestly. But we got the whole offseason. I was still able to play 70 games, so that’s a blessing,” Claxton said. “I have time to lock in on it this summer. I’m going to get it right. I’ve got a plan. No surgeries or anything though.”
The Nets, who entered the season with the lowest over/under projection of any NBA team, comfortably exceeded that projection by winning more games than expected and reducing their lottery odds in the process. So it was only fitting, Lewis writes for the Post, that the Nets lost on Sunday to the Knicks when a win would’ve improved their draft position, since Brooklyn controls New York’s first-round pick. As a result of the Knicks’ victory, that pick will be No. 26 overall — it could’ve moved as high as No. 22 if Brooklyn had won.

Nets Rule Out Noah Clowney For Rest Of Season

April 2nd, 2025 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Noah Clowney‘s second NBA season has come to an early end, according to Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, who said on Wednesday that the big man is in a walking boot as he recovers from a right ankle sprain and won’t play again this spring (Twitter link via C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News).

It was an injury-plagued year for Clowney, who had two extended absences earlier in the season due to left ankle sprains. He made a total of 46 appearances (20 starts) and averaged 9.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 22.7 minutes per game.

Clowney showed some promise during the final few weeks of his rookie season, but struggled to carry it over on a consistent basis in his second year. The 20-year-old made just 41.4% of his two-point shots and 33.3% of his three-point tries in 2024/25 for an overall shooting percentage of 35.8%.

Clowney will be entering the third year of his rookie scale contract, which will pay him $3.4MM in 2025/26. Brooklyn will have to decide by the end of October whether or not to exercise his $5.4MM team option for the ’26/27 season.

As Holmes relays, the Nets also provided two more injury updates on Wednesday, indicating that Cameron Johnson (lower back contusion) will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday, while Day’Ron Sharpe (right knee sprain) will soon be reevaluated. Sharpe has been inactive for the club’s last four games.

Nets Notes: Timme, Etienne, Johnson, Clowney, Draft

March 30th, 2025 at 9:43am CST by Rory Maher

Big man Drew Timme, who recently signed a two-year deal with the Nets, recorded a double-double — 11 points and 10 rebounds — in 25 minutes off the bench on Friday in his NBA regular season debut, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

“I was nervous as crap out there. But it was awesome. It was a dream come true,” Timme said. “And I like this feeling. I don’t want it to end. So I got to keep working hard so I can keep doing this.”

Guard Tyson Etienne, who is on a two-way contract with Brooklyn, also made his NBA debut in Friday’s lopsided loss to the Clippers, Lewis adds. The 25-year-old grew up in New Jersey and had several family members on hand. He finished with eight points and an assist in 10 minutes.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Timme followed up his solid debut by putting up 19 points and six rebounds in 27 minutes during Saturday’s victory over Washington, helping Brooklyn snap a six-game losing streak, per Net Income of NetsDaily.com. Timme, who was credited for the game-winning basket when his layup attempt was goaltended, tied Derrick Coleman for the Nets’ franchise record for most points by a player in his first two games (30).
While the players and coaches were happy to snap the six-game skid, the victory could prove harmful in the long run, notes Lewis of The New York Post. Starters Cameron Johnson (hard fall on his back) and Noah Clowney (right ankle) were both injured late in the fourth quarter, and perhaps more importantly, the win put Brooklyn a half-game behind Philadelphia in the NBA’s reverse standings, potentially reducing the team’s odds of landing the top pick in June’s draft.
The Nets officially secured a lottery pick when they were eliminated from postseason contention on Thursday. It’s been a long and difficult wait for Brooklyn to get to this point, as Lewis writes in a subscriber-only story. June will be the first time general manager Sean Marks will have a chance to make a top-20 selection in his nine-year tenure with the team.
The Nets control five total picks in the upcoming draft, the most of any team. In addition to their own first- and second-rounders, they also hold the rights to the first-round picks from Milwaukee, New York and Houston. It’s possible they could look to move one or two of those selections to add to their 2026 total, but don’t expect the lottery pick to change hands, according to Lewis, who takes a look at what would happen if Brooklyn and Philadelphia tie for the league’s fifth-worst record.

Nets Notes: Tsai, Johnson, Thomas, Free Agency, Sharpe

March 25th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While his team is in tank mode this season, Nets owner Joe Tsai says his commitment to winning hasn’t wavered, NetsDaily.com relays.

“For a sports owner, the return season after season is winning. Every season, you’re trying to win the championship, so you want to win games, right?” Tsai said at a CNBC conference in Singapore (hat tip to Sports Illustrated’s Wilko Martinez Cachero). “You’re not looking at the income statement of the team from season-to-season, so I guess the final payoff for me is less financial — even though the financial aspects are important, I have to make sure that the bottom line investment can make sense — but at the end of the day, it’s through the love of sports. I have a passion for sports. That’s why I invested in these teams.”

Tsai holds a 3% interest in the Miami Dolphins, but he’s not looking to become a majority owner in the NFL until he delivers in Brooklyn, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“No, I still don’t feel like I’m an NFL owner,” Tsai said. “I’ve got to take care of the Brooklyn Nets first, which means you need to win first in the sport that you’re already involved in. So you’ve got to take care of business here.”

We have more on the Nets:

Cameron Johnson was considered a prime trade candidate before February’s deadline. He remained on the roster and feels responsible for making his younger teammates better, he told Lewis. “It’s not like I’m out there barking at them every day about this, about that. But anytime I can help them, or seen something that I’ve been through that I see they’re going through, I try to help,” Johnson said. “And [we have] a good group of guys willing to listen, willing to compete. Maybe our record isn’t what we want it to be, but we’re in a lot of these games because we compete at a high level, we play hard. And that’s a starting point.”
The trade rumors regarding Johnson could crop up again in the offseason and the Nets have numerous other decisions to make with the current roster, Lewis writes in a subscriber-only article for The Post. Cam Thomas, who won’t play again this season due to a hamstring injury, is due to become a restricted free agent if the team extends a qualifying offer. Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams are also eligible for restricted free agency, while Maxwell Lewis has a partially guaranteed deal and Trendon Watford will be an unrestricted free agent.
Sharpe won’t play against Toronto on Wednesday due to a right knee sprain, Collin Helwig of NetsDaily.com tweets. Johnson will also sit out as the coaching staff will rest him.