Brooklyn Nets Sharpshooter Presents Intriguing Trade Deadline Option for OKC Thunder

All around, the Oklahoma City Thunder and its management have constructed a well-balanced, defensive-minded team that places them atop the Western Conference. Statistically, they are the best defensive team in the NBA. On the other side of the ball, however, the team hasn't been perfect.

The Thunder are the No. 19 best team in the NBA in three-point percentage and are No. 13 in triples made per game. For a team contending for an NBA title, that might need to be higher. On the other side of the NBA in the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets, who sit in ninth place in the East, have a player that might exactly fit what the Thunder need.

Seventh-year forward Cameron Johnson has made a name for himself by being one of the best, most consistent three-point shooters in the league. Since joining the Nets in 2022, he's seen his offensive role as a whole increase. This season, he's averaging a career-best 18.5 points per game. Since moving to Brooklyn, his three-point percentage dipped. This year, it's back up to 43.1%, currently the second-best mark of his career.

Johnson has size and athleticism for the forward position, with one of the quickest releases of any shooter in the league. There are no doubts that Johnson would be a massive contributor to this roster, but it might be more complicated than just making a trade for the sought-after forward.

Matching up contracts to get Johnson onto the roster could be ugly. He's making a little over $22 million a season and was signed to a four-year, $108 million deal. More than likely, the main trade piece for OKC would be guard Lu Dort. Dort is making a little over $16 million a season and pairing him with French wing Ousmane Dieng would make the money work. Assuming OKC would add in a first-round pick or two and there would be a conversation to be had.

Financially, that's one of the only combination of players that could work. This should be a deal OKC's management considers, but is it too much?

The Thunder, as of now, has a near-perfect flow to its offense. Star guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams run the offense, primarily from the mid-range and around the rim. Simply put, it's working right now and might not be worth changing it up. That being said, adding a trustworthy sharpshooter like Johnson would make both lead guards' lives easier.

There could be cheaper options if Oklahoma City is shopping for a reliable three-point shooter around the trade deadline. Bucks forward Taurean Prince leads the NBA in three-point percentage at 55.6% and is on a veteran minimum contract, making under $3 million a year. With names like Prince and other veterans available and possibly looking to join a contender, Johnson might be too expensive an option for OKC to add.

The final verdict? It might be worth sticking with what you have and adding a cheaper shooter, whether it's in the free-agent pool or from a trade. The Thunder have draft picks stockpiled for the foreseeable future and what they plan on doing with them remains to be determined, but pulling the trigger on a trade for Johnson would create questions about a potential return on investment.

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