The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly willing to trade Cam Johnson before the trade deadline on February 6. Marc Stein stated on January 25th that Brooklyn was willing to deal Johnson in exchange for two first-round picks and a good young player.
However, the Nets’ willingness to trade Johnson is short-sighted because of a multitude of factors. Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks stated in July of 2024 that the team was committed to a short rebuild.
“But I do think being in this market, with this amount of draft assets, we’ve done it before. And so again, I think, not that it’s going to be expedited by any means, but I don’t think it’s a long process, either.”
Marks has reiterated the same message throughout the past six months. On January 2, he told the New York Post that the team has the flexibility to make a win-now move or continue with the rebuild.
“In this CBA, that speaks volumes. When there’s a lot of other places that are like, ‘Oh my gosh, the penalties! How do I get out of this thing?’ But the ultimate goal here is at some point to be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re contending for a championship.’ That’s what every team wants to be able to build up to do that. And hopefully with the flexibility that we’ve got and we’ll have an opportunity to do that at some point. When that is, I couldn’t answer.”
Why Cam Johnson is a vital piece in the future of the Nets
Brooklyn’s indecisiveness indicates they should hang on to Cam Johnson past the deadline. This is because if the Nets decide to make a win-now move, Cam’s skill set is something they will need to contend for a playoff spot or championship.
Johnson has a reputation for being an excellent point shooter. Throughout his professional career, he converted 39.6% of his attempts on 5.9 shots per game.
Three-point shooting is a vital skill set in Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez’s offensive system. During Fernandez’s first season as head coach, the Nets ran a ball movement offense, ranking third in passes per game, averaging 307.3.
Fernandez’s ball movement offense does not feature much cutting. They are 20th in the play type, averaging 6.9 per game. Consequently, his players are required to spend a significant amount of time behind the three-point line.
Nets vs Kings
For example, Cam Thomas had the ball just above half-court with four minutes to go in the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings on November 24, 2024. Thomas held the ball for a few seconds until Nic Claxton came over to set a screen.
Thomas went over the screen and immediately performed a bounce pass to get the ball to Nic. Claxton took a few steps towards the left elbow before performing a bounce pass to Johnson.
Cameron immediately passed the ball back to Nick, leading to an uncontested layup. Shake Milton, Thomas, and Jalen Wilson spent significant time standing behind the three-point line as the offensive possession unfolded.
My final thoughts
The ball movement offense has contributed to Brooklyn’s ranking eighth in three-point attempts this season, averaging 39.1 per game. Therefore, given the team’s indecisiveness, it would be foolish for the team to trade Johnson right now.
Brooklyn can trade Johnson this off-season if it decides to pursue a long rebuild. However, if it wants to compete after the season, Johnson is a player it will need to accomplish that goal.
However, given Fernandez’s offensive system, if I were running the Brooklyn organization, Cam Johnson would be a core part of the team’s future. Consequently, Brooklyn needs to keep Johnson on the roster for Jordi Fernandez’s tenure with the team.
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