Suns Forward Cameron Johnson Would Love to Keep Core Intact
Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson is a stickler for continuity.
After being drafted as a lottery selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, Johnson's rise has, in part, helped the Suns rise to new heights with their current slate of players. Phoenix was aided in their run to the 2021 NBA Finals and setting franchise marks during last year's regular season from a multitude of players, Johnson being one of them.
However, the Suns now feel pressure to maximize whatever is left of their championship window in a western conference that only seems to be getting tougher to navigate by the year.
General manager James Jones was adamant he wanted to keep Phoenix's core players together, and thus far has made good on his word by keeping center Deandre Ayton in town after he accepted an offer sheet from the Indiana Pacers.
Cam Johnson Speaks on Deandre Ayton Extension
“It’s awesome. I’m so happy for him. He deserved it. And the money is one thing, but just having him back on the team and the opportunity to continue to build what we have been building is a lot of fun, but he deserves every penny of that," said Johnson in an exclusive interview with the Arizona Republic.
"I’m so glad that this organization was able to keep him. I’ve really enjoyed playing with him the past three years and the sky’s really the limit for him."
Guys such as Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Devin Booker have inked extensions with the Suns. Johnson, although a sixth man at this point in time, is up next.
“I’ve said this before. I love being here. I love this team building aspect of playing for this organization. I love the city and it’s just been a place that I feel has embraced me," Johnson said to Duane Rankin.
"We had to get past the initial draft shock, but it’s been fun. I love living here. I love playing here. I love playing for Coach Mont (Monty Williams) and I’ve loved playing with my teammates. So, if I can get something done, I’d love to do it, but the same thing I said with DA. There’s a business side of it which you open your eyes to and then there’s the personal side of it which you have to open your eyes to. There’s always a balance between the two.
"Definitely as the summer goes on, and we can call a spade a spade. All these trade rumors going around. That’s the business side of it and you have to expect a team to do what’s in their best interests and you have to expect individual people, in turn, to do what’s in their best interests, but the bottom line is I’ve really loved my time here and if we can get something done, I’d be very happy about it.”
Those rumors may include the possibility of Johnson being shipped in a trade package for Kevin Durant, a topic most Suns fans may feel like they have a PhD in at this point.
Johnson has been the rumored centerpiece in a deal back to the Nets. He said he was with his brother (and UNC basketball player) Puff when it all initially went down.
Cameron Johnson Talks KD Trade Rumors
“I was in Chapel Hill with Puff. I’m sitting in the locker room and the news breaks. It’s Puff’s teammates, my teammates. I’m like, nah man, don’t put me in this. And next thing you know, whoever it was, Windy (Brian Windhorst) or somebody on the TV was like naming the potential trade targets," said Johnson.
"Naming DA, me, Mikal. And I was like, come on man, but it’s the business. Like I said, it’s the business. If that’s something that gets done, then that was just part of God’s plan and you’ve got to keep on rolling.
"But like I said, you’ve got to expect a team to do what’s in their best interests and try to win a championship and then on the flipside, we’ve got to do what’s in our best interests to further our careers and try to be our best selves.”
That's merely speculation, however. Until pen hits paper, the Suns are set to roll with a core that has brought so much success to the Valley in recent memory.
Cameron Johnson Says Suns Are in Good Place
"I’d love it. I think there is something to be said about continuity. I think there’s so much that we’ve learned in games from Year 1 to Year 2 to Year 3, I just think back to my rookie year of training camp and from a bird’s eye view, just how basic everything was that we’re talking about and how much it develops and changes as we progress. So, I think that continuity for us is huge," Johnson said.
"I think we’ve shown that we can play at a high level. We made it to the finals (in 2021). Came up two games short. Had the best record in the league last season. I think there’s a lot of positives that can come out of these last three years.
"The opportunity for that continuity to continue to fight and find that break that results in a championship is worth every bit of years to myself and I’m sure everybody else in the organization. So that fight is something you kind of learn to embrace in bouncing back from negative experiences and using them, like I said, as a chip on your shoulder to continue to get better.
"Our group, man, I can honestly at the end of the day say that playing in the NBA is a very fun basketball experience and it’s been a huge learning experience. We’ve had ups and we’ve had downs, but it’s been great. And we’ve had guys who have gone through it together. And I feel like our organization is in a pretty good place.”
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