The Cam Johnson-Marcus Smart trade Grizzlies must make with Nets

12/20/2024 05:29 PM

Trading Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors for an injured player, an undrafted rookie, and draft capital is a loud way to signal that you’re ready to sell what you’ve built for parts. The Brooklyn Nets are 11-16 and 5-14 against other Eastern Conference opponents.

The playoffs were certainly not a guarantee and the time has come to pursue productive losses in an effort to capture the (Cooper) Flagg. Dorian Finney-Smith’s contract is expiring with a player-option for next season. Contending teams will have interest. But he’s not the biggest prize available on this Nets’ roster.

I wrote about the extent to which Cam Johnson is shining on this Nets team after their first 22 games. And said that they should trade him before the deadline – both because his value may never be higher and the team should be looking to lose. The trade proposed in that article landed Johnson on the Indiana Pacers in what was a consolidation of talent and draft capital.

The Pacers’ season has yet to turn around as the team is still only 13-15. Injuries are still dragging the team down. And Indiana may not be willing to part with draft capital to improve midseason in what might feel like a panic move.

But the Memphis Grizzlies are in a much different situation than the Pacers. The team has won eight of its last 10 games and has the only claim to the West’s second seed.

The Nets’ Cam Johnson is the missing piece for the Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are 19-9 and look like the promising young team they were supposed to be. Last year’s 27-55 campaign was headlined by lead star Ja Morant’s absence but it’s clear that it’s in the past.

The team has the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA. And that has made way for Morant to be on track to have the most impactful season of his career thus far according to EPM, an advanced analytic utilized often by NBA personnel. Memphis has the assets and salaries to make a trade that can help them win in this season and in future campaigns. The right target just has to come along.

Johnson is signed through the 2026-27 season to a rate of approximately $21.8 million per season. His estimated offensive plus/minus this season has, somehow, increased. Johnson’s +3.6 O-EPM is in the NBA’s 95th percentile. My previous article referenced his +3.3 rating (94th percentile at the time) as being both a career-high and beyond impressive. Johnson has continued to out-do himself.

A recent discussion on The Young Man And the Three between Johnson and WNBA legend Sue Bird showed fans the perspective Johnson has gained over the course of his career. He has gone from being viewed as a “reach” for the Phoenix Suns in the draft to being part of the return for superstar Kevin Durant.

Johnson was thrust into a leadership role for the Nets this season after they traded Mikal Bridges to the other borough’s team. And he’s responded incredibly well, both on and off the court. He would likely fit smoothly into what Memphis is building. And help them elevate their offense to the next level.

The Grizzlies surrendered draft capital to acquire Marcus Smart from the Celtics in a deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, where he won a championship at the end of that season. Ouch.

Smart has been an important part of Memphis’ defense but has struggled mightily on the offensive side of the court. The Grizzlies have defensive stalwarts like Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, and Vince Williams Jr. as part of their core. The team can afford to utilize Smart in a deal that allows them to retain their core pieces such as Morant, Bane, Clarke, both Jaren and GG Jackson, and youngsters Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, and Scotty Pippen Jr.

Marcus Smart can help the Brooklyn Nets on and off the court

The Grizzlies declined Jake LaRavia’s team option for next season, rendering him an unrestricted free agent at the end of the league year. The Nets traded for a castaway Memphis wing this past offseason with plans to give them opportunity, having just done so with Ziaire Williams.

But the real return for Brooklyn is the Grizzlies’ 2025 first-round pick, currently the 27th pick in that draft, and their 2027 first-round pick protected from picks 1-10. The 2027 pick would convert to Memphis’ 2030 and 2031 second-round draft selections if it did not convey in 2027.

And having Smart under contract through next season, when he becomes an expiring contract worth about $21.5 million, could prove to be incredibly valuable. Brooklyn attempts to capitalize on Johnson’s shining start to the season by acquiring future draft capital and opening up playing time for talent they want to evaluate.

They also give up Keon Johnson, who has a team option for next season at about $2.4 million, to make the money work. Memphis can figure out what to do with him later.

Johnson would immediately replace the 22.9 minutes per game that LaRavia has played this season and more. There are not any Grizzlies averaging 30 minutes per game or more thus far, indicative of head coach Taylor Jenkins’ style, the depth on the team, and the injuries they’ve dealt with thus far. But once players such as Williams Jr. and Jackson II return from injury, the team will have all of the pieces it needs to try and make it out of the Western Conference.

The Grizzlies may be wary of trading Smart so soon after acquiring him to be part of their core. Smart fits what the team has built very well. But Johnson, and his efficient floor-spacing contributions, represent the level of team the Grizzlies could ascend to.

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