The “growing belief” around the NBA that it will take more than one first-round pick to pry forward Cameron Johnson away from the Nets due to his strong play this season and the team-friendly descending/flat structure of his contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Johnson has base salaries of $22.5MM this season, $20.5MM in 2025/26, and $22.5MM in ’26/27.
However, Johnson’s deal also includes significant unlikely incentives of $4.5MM this season, $4.1MM next season, and $4.5MM in ’26/27. Those incentives count against the apron, complicating matters for a potential suitor right up against a hard cap, such as the Warriors.
Golden State and Brooklyn discussed Johnson before agreeing to their Dennis Schröder trade, but those conversations were always considered exploratory and Jonathan Kuminga‘s name wasn’t part of them, says Scotto. Among Pacific playoff hopefuls, the Kings may be a more serious suitor for Johnson, having long expressed interest in him, Scotto notes.
Here are a few more interesting tidbits from Scotto:
- There’s “growing pessimism” that the Nuggets and Bulls will make a deal centered around Zach LaVine and Michael Porter Jr., league sources tell HoopsHype. As Scotto explains, Chicago doesn’t want to take on Zeke Nnaji‘s four-year contract and doesn’t want to have to give up assets to get a third team to take it. However, Denver may have to include Nnaji for salary-matching purposes and might not have the draft capital necessary to incentivize a third team to acquire him.
- Confirming a previous report that the Jazz and Pelicans briefly discussed Brandon Ingram before he made it clear he didn’t want to sign long-term in Utah, Scotto says the two teams “kicked around” the idea of a package that would’ve included John Collins and draft compensation before talks fizzled out.
- Scotto also confirms that the Pelicans will look to duck out of luxury tax territory by moving a player or two prior to February 6. Assuming New Orleans is able to open up a roster spot and has enough room below the tax line, the team would like to promote two-way player Brandon Boston to its standard roster, Scotto adds.
- Although Toronto hasn’t made starting center Jakob Poeltl via trade, teams around the NBA are monitoring the situation in case that stance changes before February 6, Scotto writes. The Raptors believe Poeltl, who is under contract through at least 2026, fits with their young core, according to Scotto, who suggests an inflection point could come this summer, when the big man becomes extension-eligible again.
- In case you missed it, we rounded up a few more of Scotto’s latest rumors in a separate story focused on Pacific teams.
I think it’s in the Nets’ best interests to keep Cam Johnson. They already have tons of assets (about 3 tons, if you figure 31 draft picks over the next 7 years) and it’s good to keep a core of players to add the picks to.
No. Trade Everyone. If you’re gonna rebuild then do it. Don’t half ass it.
Brooklyn’s path the next 9 months is going to be interesting, without telling us the plan they are revealing it thru actions. Not even discussing Kuminga tells me the brakes are going to be pumped more than Id like
Shame if so, Id like to see them pressuring some of these teams on Rfa’s and maybe scalping a good player from the free market (what an idea) like Naz, Santi, NAW or such rather than use it for dragging the oceans floors. But those days seem long gone
A lot of good NBA players are actually counting on Brk to at least apply a little pressure to the market
Nnaji never plays meaningful minutes yet has a nice extension. Nba has a problem, how can you justify having him in a trade as a positive.
Considering a team would be throwing away $23 million for the next 3 years no way anyone would want him. You couldn’t even get a team to take him with a 1st round pick attached.
I don’t believe Ingram is good enough to dictate where he goes. Again problem but his lack of extension can allow him to say I don’t want to play for certain teams and won’t sign.
Bulls will cave and take Zeke
Cam Johnson for Ron Holland and THJ
No first round picks
Detroit
Cade Beasley Johnson Tobias Duren
Sasser Ivey Thompson Fontecchio Stewart
Cam is a better long term fit with the pistons for Cade and Duren. Helps open up the floor and not a big ball handler. In return Brooklyn gets back Ron who was just taken in the top 10 of the draft. He’d be a good fit long term with young Cam Thomas. THJ is just salary matching but he’s also an expiring deal.