Amid the chaos of NBA free agency, the Brooklyn Nets will finally be dealing away Cam Johnson. They’re trading the 27-year-old wing to the Denver Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
BREAKING: The Denver Nuggets are trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/o6rdWhu3Rl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025
After falling short in Game 7 of a heavyweight, second-round playoff series against the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder this spring, the Nuggets are pushing a few of their chips in for 2026. Johnson is a clear upgrade over Porter at this stage, especially considering Porter’s long injury history.
Johnson had a career-best year in 2024-25, averaging a career-high 18.8 points (63.6 percent true shooting) and 3.4 assists on a talent-devoid Brooklyn team. For Denver, he’ll play a role more similar to his Phoenix Suns tenure, moving off the ball and seeing a much easier shot diet playing alongside Nikola Jokic.
Both Johnson and Porter’s contracts expire in 2027, but Johnson’s contract occupies 10 percent less of the cap than Porter’s, which will open a bit more space for the Nuggets. Porter will play without high-end star talent for the first time in his career in Brooklyn, likely seeing a higher on-ball creation load.
He’s still a highly efficient complementary scorer, adding value as an off-ball spacer, movement shooter and play-finisher around the basket. He may not add tons of value this season for a Brooklyn team in the depths of a rebuild but the Nets made this trade for future draft capital.
Grading The Deal
Denver Nuggets: A
For a Denver team firmly in its championship window, upgrading wherever possible makes sense. Johnson provides a clear improvement over Porter in a similar role, bringing more passing, secondary creation and defense alongside high-level shooting.
Although the Nuggets are still a depth piece or two away from challenging the Thunder, we’ve seen how close Jokic can drag a team without nearly as much overall talent as their opponent. It’s an excellent swing for the Nuggets, which will hope to capitalize and win another title next season.
Brooklyn Nets: B+
Brooklyn won’t need the extra cap space and winning impact Johnson provides at the moment, so taking on Porter was worth the draft capital in this instance. Porter has added sub-All-Star value in the past and is only 27, so he’s a decent player to swing on and hope he can remain healthy.
That 2032 first-round pick is nearly impossible to project at this point, but adding unprotected draft capital always helps for future trade flexibility. It isn’t an overwhelming return for a player like Johnson, who teams seemed to covet highly, but the Nets were always going to move him eventually.
