The Denver Nuggets won the championship title in 2023. Since then, they have lost to the Western Conference Semifinals two years in a row. Nikola Jokic said they need more help and players who can contribute, and it seems like the Nuggets finally delivered, making a trade for Cam Johnson.
Nuggets Make Shocking Trade to Boost Title Hopes
With the latest trade for Cam Johnson, the Nuggets look to get back to the Finals and possibly win it all next season. Johnson was one of the more coveted trade targets at last year’s trade deadline. But the Brooklyn Nets held onto him and hoped to get better offers in the summer. Whether the deal with the Nuggets is the best offer they could get is debatable. But they did get a first-round pick. At the deadline, they hoped to get multiple firsts, but that didn’t materialize.
The full trade is as follows: Michael Porter Jr for Johnson plus a 2032 first-round pick. That pick might be quite valuable, given that Jokic will be 37 years old at the time. It is hard to see the Nuggets being a contending team by 2032, but that is the price you pay when you have a generational MVP-type player on your team.
BREAKING: The Denver Nuggets are trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/o6rdWhu3Rl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025
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How Much Better are the Nuggets with Cam Johnson
Despite joining the NBA a year later, Johnson is actually older than Porter. Last year, he had a career season, averaging 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 47.5% shooting from the floor and 39% from behind the arc.
Like MPJ, Johnson is also prone to injuries. He has played 60+ games only two times in his career, in his second and third seasons. Last season he appeared in 57 games, and the year before in 58 games. Porter had a slightly more efficient season last year with averages of 18.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 50% shooting from the floor and 39.5% from behind the arc. Yet, he was almost non-existent in the playoffs. MPJ appeared in 77 games during the 2024-25 season and in 81 games the previous season.
What is Denver’s Next Move?
Due to an old trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets were limited in what they could offer in trades. In 2023, they traded JaMychal Green and a future first to the Thunder for the 30th pick and future picks.
Porter was their best trade chip, and they cashed in to get one of the more coveted players at last year’s deadline. The deal also saves them money because MPJ will make $38 million for the 2025-26 season. Johnson, on the other hand, will make only $21.1 million and then $23 million for the 2026-27 season.
The deal gives the Nuggets more flexibility and breathing room, allowing them to use the mid-level exception. Depending on what they do with their free agents, the Nuggets can get below the luxury tax and offer the full mid-level exception to any free agents. While Johnson and Porter might have averaged similar numbers, the former is cheaper and gives them flexibility for future moves.
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