Suns 'Hesitant' to Pay Big Bucks to Cam Johnson, per Report
The Phoenix Suns like Cam Johnson.
Johnson has made good on his draft position since entering the league, slowly but surely working towards earning the starting spot that opened up for him over the summer when the organization opted to remove Jae Crowder from that role.
Johnson was confirmed to be the team's starter at power forward this season, but major news around the North Carolina product is focused on his contract situation. Johnson is playing on the last year of his rookie deal and has been in negotiations with the organization.
"With things like this, I feel like if you obsess over it and get yourself all wrapped up in it — it's only detrimental. I feel like the process will play out as it will and as it is supposed to. It's the reason you have agents, to help you negotiate these things. I love being here. I love playing in this city. It has been great to me," Johnson said at Phoenix's Media Day.
The Suns hope to avoid a similar situation to Deandre Ayton, who last season sat in the same chair as Johnson - playing on the last year of his rookie deal - and ended up failing to reach an agreement and forcing the Suns to match a deal in restricted free agency.
Phoenix hopes to avoid that. Johnson hopes to avoid that. Even ESPN's Brian Windhorst said a few weeks ago he'll be surprised if the two sides don't come to an agreement.
"I've talked this week about how Jae Crowder is an available trade piece. Cam Johnson is coming off his third year, he's extension eligible, we'll see if that gets done. I think there's a good chance it will," said Windhorst.
The Suns have plans to strike a deal with Johnson, there's just no other way around it. Phoenix positioned themselves to ensure he remains with the team, and by all accounts, there's a general feeling a deal will get done.
But do the Suns love Cam Johnson?
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus says the team (and Johnson) may be on two different wavelengths.
In a recent article discussing rookie scale contract extensions, Pincus offered some insight on Johnson's current negotations with the team:
Suns 'Hesitant" to Pay Big Bucks to Cam Johnson
"Going by the precedent set with Deandre Ayton, the Suns may choose to wait until next summer to pay Cam Johnson (No. 11). The counterargument is that they gave Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet extensions last season (which only compounded the awkwardness with Ayton)," Pincus said.
"According to an agent source, the Suns are hesitant with Johnson because, 'When he's healthy [enough to play], he's still not healthy.'
"Johnson averaged 61 games a season over his first three years. Unfortunately, he suffered a sprained thumb four minutes into his second preseason game. The Suns may be looking for a Kyle Kuzma-type extension; he earned a flat $13 million per season in 2020 from the Los Angeles Lakers. Considering the rising cap, that might translate to a $15.5 million starting salary.
"Is that enough for Johnson to commit? He likely chooses to bet on himself and explore restricted free agency for a healthier payday in July."
Roughly $15 million is about what Duane Rankin projected Johnson to get over the summer, and our evaluations aligned with that as well.
Time will tell if the two sides will get a deal done.
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