Dear Brooklyn Nets, Keep Cam Johnson

The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 6. That gives the Brooklyn Nets seven days to make up their mind regarding their heavily-coveted forward, Cam Johson. That is of course, if they haven't already.
Johnson's second full season in Brooklyn has played witness to a career year, leading to averages of 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
His performance, compounded with the Nets' 13th-placed standing in the Eastern Conference, has led to a slew of trade rumors. However, those have been running rampant since the franchise dealt Mikal Bridges in the summer of 2024.
Countless insiders, reporters and analysts have revealed Brooklyn will only move Johnson if it feels the return package provides ample value.
But how determined are the Nets to trade him?
Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith were the first dominos to fall back in December, and all signs point to Johnson becoming the next.
Although, he doesn't have to be.
Johnson has proven that under rookie head coach Jordi Fernandez, he has the ability to evolve his game into a true go-to scoring option. Cam Thomas' injury-riddled 2024-25 campaign has confirmed it.
He's still just 28 years old with a cap number that drops next season. Johnson is only on the books for 20.5$ million in 2025-26.
With Brooklyn's rebuild appearing to be more of a re-tool than a full-fledged overhaul, how much benefit would there really be in moving him?
And possibly more importantly, would the Nets be able to find a soon-to-be 29-year-old sharpshooter who averages nearly 20 points a night on a $20 million contract?
The answer to the former remains to be seen, but the answer to the latter is obvious. And that answer is no.
For context, Johnson's contract is nearly identical to the one Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed with the Orlando Magic this past offseason.
No disrespect to Caldwell-Pope, but Brooklyn would likely prefer Johnson over him or any other player in a similar role.
The Nets fans on social media who advocate for "the tank" have been putting together mock trades for months, but what they don't realize is the team is already not performing well. Making the team "worse" doesn't necessarily need to be a priority because Brooklyn is already inching into the top-five of the draft lottery.
Now, if a rival offers three first-rounders for Johnson, that's the kind of "can't say no" deal general manager Sean Marks has been seeking.
Otherwise, Johnson should stay put with the team that swapped Kevin Durant for him over two years ago.
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