Cam Johnson Free Agent Profile
Later this summer, Cam Johnson will likely be grateful he decided to bet on himself. A restricted free agent coming off a great season, Johnson is expected to have a robust market. The 6’8″ forward excelled with the Brooklyn Nets after being acquired in the Kevin Durant trade. A potential bidding war could net him more than the four-years, $72 million extension he turned down from the Phoenix Suns before last season. Though the Nets are expected to match any realistic offer sheet tendered to Johnson by another club, his return to Brooklyn is far from guaranteed if the price gets too high.
Background
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Johnson with the eleventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, but traded him to the Suns later that night. Johnson showed promise in his three plus season in Phoenix. He improved each year he played and there’s no surprise the Suns wanted to lock him up before he played on the last year of his rookie contacts.
In his last full year in Phoenix (2021-22), Johnson averaged 12.5 points a game and shot 42.5 percent from behind the arc. In this breakout year, he started 16 of a career high 66 games and finished third in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Johnson’s ascent continued in Brooklyn. The 27-year-old averaged 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in 25 games (all starts) with the Nets. Johnson proved to be a good defender, solid secondary playmaker, and ball handler. The Nets view Johnson as an importance piece as the organization aims to avoid a rebuild.
Strengths
Johnson is a skilled three-point shooter versatile enough to fit most systems. A career 39.3 percent shooter from three, Johnson can run the floor and guard both forward spots. He’s an efficient role player that crates space for teammates with his shooting. Johnson’s not going to hurt his team by doing too much, evident by his career 6.85 turnover percentage and 8.27 assist percentage. These are strong mark for a forward.
An acquiring team won’t have to worry about Johnson failing in the big moments. Although the Nets were swept in the first round last year, Johnson played great. For the series he averaged 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. In 38 career postseason games, Johnson is a 41.6 percent three-point shooter with a 48.9 field goal percentage. A role player averaging 10.2 points and 3.6 assists per game in the playoffs is extremely useful.
Weaknesses
Johnson, at 6’8″ and 210 pounds, is on the smaller size for a power forward. His size, or lack of it, leads to struggles defending strong players down low. He’s also a below average rebounder, averaging 3.8 per game in his career.
Defensively, Johnson relies on quick feet, staying vertical when contesting shots, and limiting fouls. For his career, he averages 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks per game. He’s not an elite defender, but he isn’t a liability.
Johnson does not have star upside, so teams might be wary of committing too much in a bidding war. Additionally, Brooklyn seems prepared to match any reasonable offer. A team must decide whether it wants to commit crazy money, like more than four years and $100 million, to a high end role player.
Potential Fits
Marc Stein reported last week that the Detroit Pistons, with new head coach Monty Williams, is becoming increasingly more interested in signing Johnson. Williams coached Johnson in Phoenix and said he cried after trading Johnson away at the deadline. Johnson blossomed under Williams and would be great option to help Williams implement his culture in Detroit.
The Houston Rockets, a team ready to end its rebuild, is interested in signing Johnson. With by far the most cap space in the league ($60 million), Houston might be the most realistic option to give Johnson the unreasonable deal that Brooklyn won’t match. With a James Harden reunion rumored, Houston might be desperate to make a splash this summer and become legitimate contenders next year.
Many rebuilding teams will be interested in signing Johnson to an offer sheet. Brooklyn remains the likeliest outcome, but the 2023 NBA Free Agency could get weird easily. Teams, especially Brooklyn, should know that nothing is guaranteed.
