Nets' Cam Johnson returning from ankle injury vs. Wizards with trade appearing unlikely
02/05/2025 02:18 PM
NBA executives viewed Cam Johnson as one of the league’s most obvious trade candidates entering this year’s deadline. However, with the deadline 24 hours away, all is quiet on the Brooklyn Nets front.
With trade speculation surrounding Johnson cooling, the veteran wing will return from a six-game injury absence on Wednesday vs. the Washington Wizards. While the Nets could still move him before 3 PM Thursday, his return to the lineup adds to the growing belief that a trade is unlikely.
Cam Johnson returning to Nets lineup as trade speculation cools
Johnson is a logical target for a contender looking to bolster its rotation for a playoff run. The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter is averaging a career-best 19.4 points per game on 49/42/90 shooting splits. He leads the NBA in effective field goal percentage (61.3) among players attempting at least 12 field goals and seven threes per game.
However, league sources told ClutchPoints that teams approaching Brooklyn have been met with a steep asking price. The Nets are seeking multiple first-round picks and have made it clear they’re comfortable holding Johnson through the deadline. The 28-year-old has two years left on his contract at $21.5 million annually, a deal that should age well as the salary cap rises due to the new media rights deal.
For much of the season, the Nets’ incentive to trade Johnson went beyond what they could get back in a deal. After trading Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn is tanking for a top selection in a loaded draft. Johnson’s career-best production has been counterproductive to that goal.
The Nets are 3-12 in games he has missed, with the three wins coming in their last three games. When he plays, they’re 14-21, a 33-win pace that has them on the outside looking in regarding top lottery odds.
But with a third of the season remaining, the lottery picture has come into focus. A three-game win streak dropped the Nets to sixth, one game behind the Toronto Raptors for fifth. They’re 3.5 behind the Charlotte Hornets for fourth and five behind New Orleans for third. Catching either looks increasingly unlikely.
With the Philadelphia 76ers 3.5 games behind the Nets in seventh, Brooklyn looks increasingly likely to finish fifth or sixth. While trading Johnson this offseason could have led to a different outcome, doing so now is unlikely to have the same impact.
History tells us that things change quickly at the trade deadline. With the Nets unwilling to budge on their asking price for Johnson, teams will have to increase their offers to pry him away in the next 24 hours.
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