warriors
Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A rumor about who the Golden State Warriors could soon target after failing in their chase to sign LeBron James is sure to disappoint their fans.
Heading into the week, the James sweepstakes looked to be down to four teams: the Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat. However, the best guess by most in and around the sport was that either a return to Cleveland or Miami was the likely result. Instead, the 22-time All-Star surprised many by picking the 76ers.
It has seemed unlikely for some time that he would not choose the Warriors, and the rumor became a reality on Friday. Now that they know the four-time MVP isn’t headed to Golden State, the Warriors must turn to the Plan Bs they had if James didn’t choose them. On Saturday, Heavy’s Sean Deveney revealed one possible backup option for the NBA legend, and it isn’t very exciting.
Could Golden State Warriors pivot to Cameron Johnson trade soon?
warriors
Apr 23, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) goes after the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
According to the NBA insider, the Warriors “could move Moses Moody in a deal, and may have interest in Cam Johnson.” A few years ago, Johnson was viewed as a star on the rise after the 2019 lottery pick was a finalist for the Sixth Man Award. However, he has delivered mixed results in the years since, including being traded to both the Brooklyn Nets and Denver Nuggets.
Furthermore, what will make a trade far from sexy for Warriors fans is the fact that Denver has been looking to offload the 30-year-old this summer so they can re-sign a player they would rather have much more in restricted free agent Peyton Watson.
The biggest positive to a potential trade for Golden State is that Johnson is on an expiring $23 million contract. A straight-up trade of Moody for Johnson would work financially. The Nuggets would certainly be open to the idea since it would free up a lot more salary cap space to match an offer Watson gets in free agency.
Johnson would be a rock-solid fill-in at small forward while Butler works his way back from his torn ACL. He would then help to bolster the bench later in the season. But he is still a big step back in impact from getting a player like James.
avatar
After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos