Could Nets’ Cameron Johnson Help the OKC Thunder?

The 2024-25 iteration of the Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the more talented teams in the entire league, owning the outright second-best record in the league, good for No. 1 in the Western Conference by three full games.

As it stands right now, the Thunder could likely coast to the Playoffs. The duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are leading the charge on both ends, Isaiah Hartenstein is seeing a career year in filling out the five-spot, talented role players line near every position, and star center Chet Holmgren is still waiting in the wings due to injury. And the cherry on top is the team’s age.

Suffice it to say, the Thunder have it made, as it stands now. And still, there’s room to upgrade.

The team has a bevy of young assets that don’t necessarily make an impact right now, and plenty more future draft selections that it could offload.

With that being the case, as well as former and current reports about Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnsons’ availability, there will of course be rumblings about the team going after him.

But is it worth it? Can Johnson really help an already-solid team like OKC?

The short answer is yes. For the right price, of course.

At 28-years-old, Johnson is amidst a breakout year, averaging over 19 points, four rebounds and three assists while shooting nearly 49% from the field. While those numbers of course would taper off with a contending team like OKC opposed to the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets, Johnson would still be a viable play for teams looking to win. Especially with his 42% 3-point shooting on 7.6 attempts, which the team desperately needs.

At 6-foot-8, Johnson would also offer a unique player for the Thunder specifically. While the team has “wings” in players like Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and more, none are truly wing sized. Johnson would offer a rotational or even starter-level player that is truly a tweener between guard and center, and used appropriately on both ends.

Lastly, Johnson has the necessary experience needed for a run as soon as this season, having played for a Phoenix Suns team that made the NBA Finals. While Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks eventually won out back in 2021, Johnson played well, all things considered.

So, we’ve stablished the current Net could be valuable in the Thunder’s eyes. But trading for him is easier said than done. The team would certainly need to offload valuable players in order to make salary work, such as Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe or others. Even more, rebuilding Brooklyn will likely be in search of young assets like Ousmane Dieng, Nikola Topic and draft picks.

If Oklahoma City is truly wanting to make a run, parting with things like these might very well be worth it to add the firepower. But for an organization like OKC that’s developed its young core so well, it won’t be easy to part.

Overall, it depends on Brooklyn’s asking price. But Oklahoma City certainly has the assets to out-bid the field.

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