Expect the Nuggets' Cam Johnson to be the subject of NBA rumors in the coming months ... if he can turn his season around.
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Expect the Nuggets' Cam Johnson to be the subject of NBA rumors in the coming months ... if he can turn his season around.
There is a lot of basketball to be played across the NBA, of course, as the league pushes through the stretch run and into the postseason next month. But one of the most bizarre stories among league scouts and coaches is what, exactly, is happening with Nuggets forward Cam Johnson. And it’s already got the NBA rumor mill churning.
You’ll remember Johnson as the guy the Nuggets got in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. from the Nets, in a trade that also cost Denver an unprotected 2032 first-round pick. At the time of the deal, the Nets were excoriated for only getting back one first-round pick for Johnson, and for taking on Porter Jr.’s salary, to boot.
But that view is changing as, somewhere along the way, in going from the non-competitive Nets to the championship hopeful Nuggets, Johnson seems to have forgotten the very basics of his game as an elite 3-and-D wing.
Cam Johnson Seen as a Nuggets Win
Overall, Johnson’s numbers are not bad. He is averaging 11.2 points and 40.8% 3-point shooting, and if you’d asked the Nuggets before the season, they’d have gladly taken that. Johnson is making $21 million this year, and $23 million next year–significant savings from the $38 million Porter is owed this year, and the $41 million next year. All of that makes the deal a win for Denver.
Except, as one Eastern Conference assistant coach said, “He’s struggling. You don’t usually see a guy’s confidence fall apart like Cam Johnson’s has.”
That sounds like hyperbole, but the numbers are harsh. Johnson came back from a knee injury in February, and has dealt with an ankle injury, but amid those worries, he has struggled badly. He is shooting 40.5% from the field and 33.3% from the 3-point line in his last 10 games, and for a guy who averaged 7.2 3-point tries last year, he is averaging only 4.2 in his last 10 games.
Also troubling is the Johnson’s defense has not been quite what it was. But that change has been developing over time.
“He is not the same defensive player he was a couple of years ago,” a Western Conference scout said. “At his best, he can shut down the best wings in the game. We’ve seen him do that. But he has not been the same in the last year or so. That’s got to be a worry for the Nuggets on a few different fronts.”
NBA Rumor Mill Will Churn–Depending on Next Few Weeks
One of those fronts just lies ahead for the Nuggets in the coming weeks. They’re in a fight to keep the No. 6 seed in the West, and Johnson is expected to be a key part of what might make the Nuggets title contenders.
But beyond that, Johnson is expected to be a key trade piece for the Nuggets this summer, as the team looks to position itself to keep its salary structure in order while also singing big new deals for the likes of Peyton Watson. The Warriors are Lakers are among the teams said to be weighing a Johnson pursuit.
But if he keeps on shying away from his role in a pressure situation with a team that is expected to contender, that won’t be the case.
“We’re gonna find out, is this a player you trust or not. That’s going to go a long way toward his market,” the coach said.