Former Suns F Cam Johnson Receives Massive Payday in Free Agency

The Phoenix Suns' former power forward and fan favorite in Cam Johnson is staying with the Brooklyn Nets on a massive deal.

There were questions on the future of Cam Johnson, though those were put to rest quickly in the very beginning stages of free agency. 

"Restricted free agent F Cam Johnson has agreed on a four-year, $108 million deal to stay with the Brooklyn Nets," reported ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Restricted free agent F Cam Johnson has agreed on a four-year, $108 million deal to stay with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent Steven Heumann of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Nets keep a young cornerstone acquired in deadline deal with Suns.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2023

Johnson will be staying in Brooklyn after being acquired as part of the Kevin Durant swap with the Phoenix Suns back at the trade deadline. He entered this offseason as a restricted free agent after he and the Suns weren't able to find a middle ground on a contract extension heading into 2022-23. 

Johnson (27-years-old) played 25 games for the Nets after landing in Brooklyn, averaging 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists to finish the season. His presence along with Mikal Bridges gave the Nets hope they could turn the direction of the franchise around sooner than anticipated. 

Johnson's $27 million per season average on his new deal would have ranked No. 47 in the NBA ahead of names such as R.J. Barrett, Jaylen Brown and Jaren Jackson Jr. among others. 

Last offseason, Johnson was projected to receive anywhere in the $15-20 million range annually. Now, he's easily topped those numbers after landing in Brooklyn.

There was some speculation that he could land with the Detroit Pistons, a team currently undergoing a youth movement with new (and familiar face) head coach Monty Williams at the helm. The Pistons were thought to be heavily interested in Johnson, though he was ultimately a restricted free agent, giving Brooklyn rights to match a deal.