Nets GM: There was ‘a lot of interest’ in Cam Johnson before trade deadline

The Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline came and went with star forward Cam Johnson remaining a member of the Brooklyn Nets. But according to Nets general manager Sean Marks, that’s not because there was a lack of trade interest in him around the league.

In fact, Marks said that there was “a lot of interest” in the 28-year-old leading up to the trade deadline.

“With Cam, there was a lot of interest in him just as there was with a lot of our guys but we like Cam and we think Cam fits multiple builds that we are doing,” Marks said. “He’s a voice of reason. He’s well-respected within that locker room. He’s a pro’s pro. So if people can learn from somebody, they learn from Cam Johnson. That’s a great guy to pick up habits from.”

One team heavily linked to Johnson shortly before the deadline was the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rival officials claimed back in January that Cleveland’s trade interest in Johnson was more serious than merely the Cavaliers doing their due diligence regarding his availability.

Additionally, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com cited Johnson as a “realistic” trade option for the Cavaliers just days before the deadline. But it wasn’t meant to be, as Cleveland acquired a different productive wing instead, De’Andre Hunter.

Of course, Johnson is set to complete the 2024-25 campaign in Brooklyn, and he’s enjoying a career year so far. He’s having his best scoring season in the league by a significant margin, as he’s scoring a career-high 19.1 points per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the floor and 41.5 percent from 3-point range.

Johnson is in his second full season with the Nets after he started out his pro career playing for the Phoenix Suns. He was part of the trade that sent forward Kevin Durant from the Nets to the Suns back in the 2022-23 campaign.

Fortunately for Brooklyn, Johnson is on a bargain of a contract with the team. He agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Nets in the summer of 2023 and won’t make more than $22.5 million in any one season for the duration of his contract. He is set to hit unrestricted free agency following the 2026-27 season.

When factoring in how productive Johnson has been this season along with his youthfulness and the affordability of his contract, maybe the Nets made the right decision by holding onto him. Johnson is far from the youngest player in the NBA, but he’s only 28 years old, and maybe his most productive years in the league are still ahead of him.