The Lakers are in the midst of regrouping now that the first few days of NBA free agency have left them without a significant new addition to last year’s roster. But they still need to find a way to upgrade the roster with the limited assets they have on hand. They’ve been trying to free up their midlevel exception and find a player willing to sign for that amount (a bit less than $13 million), which would not cost them much by way of future assets, but that has proven fruitless.
A good fallback option could be had on the trade market, a sweet-shooting forward who would address their need for floor spacing in the frontcourt: Nets big man Cam Johnson.
Amid a report from Yahoo Sports suggesting that the Nets would “welcome” a trade for D’Angelo Russell, it’s possible for the Lakers to bring in Johnson without giving up its two high-value future first-rounders in 2029 and 2031. The Lakers would have to persuade the Nets that taking back Russell and last year’s first-round pick, Jalen Hood-Schifino, would be enough of a return for Johnson, whose lengthy injury history dings his value.
Cameron Johnson Has Injury History
Johnson is not a star, but he is the type of player who can star in his role—as a good two-way forward who brings the kind of positional versatility needed in the modern NBA. He can guard three positions, and won’t get completely lost if he is forced into mismatches against point guards or center, an increasingly important aspect of surviving in the playoffs.
And he can shoot. That has always been the draw to Johnson, since he came out of North Carolina as the No. 11 pick in 2019. He is a career 39.2% shooter, and has shot better than 39% from the 3-point arc in four of his five NBA seasons.
The downside, though, has been health. He dealt with a toe injury for much of last year but has a history of small bumps and bruises adding up to keep him out for significant parts of a season. He did have meniscus surgery on his knee in 2022-23, when he played only 42 games.
In all, Johnson has only played 27% of his possible games in his five NBA seasons.
Lakers Would Have Competition — But How Much?
The Nets will surely try to drum up a market for Johnson, and Matt Moore of the Action Network reported that the Pacers, Kings and Hornets will have interest if the Nets put him up for a trade. The question is whether teams will give up two—or even one—first-round pick for him, and how far the Lakers would go to match offers.
Johnson is in the second year of a four-year, $95 million contract he signed with the
“I can’t see them getting two first-rounders for (Johnson),” one NBA executive told Heavy Sports, who suggested the Lakers as a landing spot. “I can see them asking for two first rounders, but not getting them. He is a good player, he is a stretch-4 and those are hard to find. Not real big (6-foot-8) but he is a good defender, can switch a lot, and really, a good third option who can stretch the floor for you.
“That is the ideal role player for a lot of teams. There is gonna be a market for him.”
The Lakers could use a player like that, and as their options come off the board, Johnson makes sense as a guy worth gambling on. But the Lakers will try out other possibilities—DeMar DeRozan, Jerami Grant—first, and the Nets still need to shop Johnson. Still, it’s worth considering.
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This article was originally published on Heavy.com
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