Report: Cleveland Cavaliers Linked With Trade for Brooklyn Nets' Cam Johnson

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the latest team to reportedly want Cam Johnson.

Dec 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets wing Cameron Johnson (2) during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

The latest trade rumor about Cam Johnson being traded by the Brooklyn Nets involves the Cleveland Cavaliers, per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.

A Jan. 17 report said that "executives from three franchise" said Cleveland had "expressed interest" in trading for Johnson. The Cavs' side of the story appears to only go as far as doing "due diligence" on the 28-year-old, but teams across the NBA seem convinced that the interest is “more serious than that.” 

Johnson is one of — if not the — most coveted player ahead of the league’s trade deadline on Feb. 6. All reports indicate that the Nets want at least one first-rounder to part ways with their best wing, plus additional compensation. In addition to the most recent Jan. 18 tidbit from NBA insider Jake Fischer about this, previous information from Mike Scotto on Dec. 8 and 31, and from Anthony Irwin on Dec. 23 also indicated this.

Johnson is averaging a career-high 19.6 points per game on 42.8% from three, while also pitching in with 4.2 rebounds and three assists. This has been his best season in the NBA. The Brooklyn wing is making $22.5 million this season, the second of a four-year, $94.5 million contract. He has $4.5 million in bonuses that need to be factored in when thinking about a possible trade this year. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors are some of the teams reportedly buzzing around Johnson. Fischer, however, dismissed the links to Oklahoma City on The Stein Line on Jan. 18. The Athletic’s report said that “Cleveland has no interest in trading any member of its core but could get to the money needed to match Johnson’s salary without disrupting its top eight players.”

Johnson has missed seven of the Nets' eight games, dealing with a right ankle sprain. He last played on Jan. 14, scoring a team-best 24 points in 27 minutes. This season, it has often felt like Johnson is the difference between Brooklyn winning or losing. That is how important he has to been to this squad, but part of the interest in Johnson must also account for how malleable his skill set — which has grown this season — can be on a more potent team.

Johnson previously played that role for the Phoenix Suns, the team that drafted him with the No. 11 pick in 2019 via a same-day trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Johnson, a five-season college player before turning pro, spent three and some seasons with the Suns. He was traded to Brooklyn in February of 2023 in the trade that landed Phoenix the services of Kevin Durant.

The Nets are currently 14-28. The team's next game is on Sunday against the Thunder at 7 PM ET.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Nets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.