Brooklyn Nets' biggest mistake at 2025 NBA trade deadline

Today at 08:43 AM

The Brooklyn Nets were expected to be major sellers at the NBA trade deadline. Earlier in the 2024-25 season, they made some noise by trading away Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers for some draft picks. There were also strong expectations that the Nets were moving on from their veterans like Cam Johnson in order to usher a new era.

But if Brooklyn was sticking to their rebuilding goals, it was puzzling as to why they chose to stay put as the trade deadline passed. In fact, it was the perfect opportunity to move some of their vets, who clearly garnered interest from various playoff contenders. But while the Nets were listening to some calls, it seemed like they placed a hefty price tag on their players, preventing any deal from materializing. In fact, the Brooklyn Nets’ biggest mistake at the 2025 NBA trade deadline was failing to move Johnson.

Cam Johnson is having a career-best season

After the Nets successfully traded away Finney-Smith, the next most logical move was to ship away Johnson. Johnson was the next best trade asset for Brooklyn, given that he is a two-way player who has some size at 6-foot-8. To make matters more curious, Johnson is having the best season of his career. He is putting up 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 48.8% from the field overall and 41.7% from beyond the arc.

Given that Johnson is having a great season, the Nets had no shortage of interest in their lanky forward. In fact, his previous playoff experience in 2021 with the Phoenix Suns even bolstered his value in the market. As a result, it was initially a race among contenders to attain the services of Johnson. The list included the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, and Memphis Grizzlies.

Moreover, his contract could be easily absorbed, with two years remaining and a $22.5 million salary for the season. But despite plenty of interest around the league, Johnson is staying put in Brooklyn after the NBA trade deadline.

For a player who had tremendous demand on the market, Brooklyn should’ve pulled the trigger for the best offer possible. It remains to be seen whether Johnson will maintain his value and replicate his elite performance in the future.

Cam Johnson doesn’t align with Nets’ rebuilding plans

There’s no question that the Nets made a wrong move in not moving Cam Johnson at the trade deadline. While he’s still in his prime years at 28 years old, Johnson doesn’t fit in the Nets’ rebuilding timeline.

Brooklyn is going to need a few years to piece together a competitive roster. Unfortunately, that means that the 6-foot-8 forward is going to waste away precious time of his career playing for a team that’s going to be a Play-In team at best. It’s clear as day that the Nets don’t need his services.

It would’ve been wise for the Nets to move Johnson at the deadline. Moving him would’ve signaled the franchise’s full commitment to a rebuild. However, it looks like the team is going to stall its rebuilding plans for now. With how the roster is built, the Nets don’t look like a legitimate championship contender nor do they look bad enough to compete against the Washington Wizards or Toronto Raptors to be a bottom-feeder in the East.

Nets lose the chance to get future building blocks

With the intention to rebuild, it makes sense for the Nets to stock up on draft capital. They successfully did so with Finney-Smith. However, it seems that they got a little too greedy for Johnson’s case.

Given that the Nets had too much of an asking price for Johnson, it made sense for teams to get turned off. Brooklyn placed a price tag that’s too steep. Unfortunately, this backfired as the team is stuck with a two-way player for the rest of the season.

Had they lowered their asking price for Johnson, the Nets would’ve had a chance to further bolster their draft capital or at least get some young assets in return. Some youngsters would’ve accelerated their rebuild faster, giving them a clearer picture on how to approach the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft.

The Nets were reportedly looking for a better haul compared to the one they got for Finney-Smith earlier in the 2024-25 season in the form of at least two first-round picks. Any basketball fan will agree that’s too steep of a price, especially for a two-way player who isn’t exactly a star.

The post Brooklyn Nets’ biggest mistake at 2025 NBA trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints.