Johnson was still an integral part of the Nuggets' success.
The Denver Nuggets went 54-28 this season and finished third in the Western Conference, then watched the Minnesota Timberwolves end their year in six games in the first round.
Team president Josh Kroenke responded by telling reporters that everything is on the table this offseason outside of trading Nikola Jokic, and ever since, just about every name on the roster has floated through trade speculation.
Cam Johnson has come up more than most, partly because his contract is the easiest one to move and partly because suitors like the Los Angeles Clippers keep circling.
The Rumors Keep Building
Johnson arrived in Denver last summer in the deal that sent Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first round pick to Brooklyn, so his $23.1 million expiring deal now looks like the cleanest path for a front office trying to duck under the first apron.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported that the belief around the league is Denver may need to move Johnson or Christian Braun to make room for Peyton Watson, and interested teams lined up almost immediately, with ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel reporting that "the Los Angeles Clippers are a team expected to express interest in Johnson."
Johnson, for his part, addressed the early exit without dwelling on it, saying "if we could redo it, we could, but that's not life."
Why Denver Should Hold On
The shooting alone makes the case.
Johnson averaged 12.2 points while hitting 43 percent from three on a Nuggets team that led the league in three point percentage, and that spacing is a big part of why Jokic had room to average 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists.
Denver's playoff problem was on the defensive end, not the perimeter, and Johnson actually raised his scoring to 14.2 points per game in the Minnesota series before closing with 27 points and five threes in Game 6.
There is also the cost of the original trade to consider.
Denver paid Porter plus a valuable future first to get Johnson, so flipping him a year later for smaller contracts and a second round pick would turn a win-now move into an expensive rental, and it would do so right as he settled into the offense.
Keeping him on an expiring deal preserves the option of moving him at the deadline if the season goes sideways, while a salary dump in June locks in the loss before the new roster ever plays a game.
None of this means Denver can ignore the math, since the Johnson or Braun question is tied directly to paying Watson, and the front office has limited draft capital to work with after the Porter deal.
The Nuggets just need to remember what Johnson gives Jokic, and what they already gave up to get him, before handing him to a Western Conference rival to save a few million dollars.
