NBA rumor: Nets are considering trading Cam Johnson with Raptors and Rockets

The Nets are considering a deal to send Cam Johnson to the Raptors or Rockets to improve their draft pick.

The Brooklyn Nets are interested in winning the second lottery in this month's NBA draft. According to NetsDaily, the Nets already have the No. 8 pick and are considering a deal to send Cam Johnson and No. 19 to the Toronto Raptors for the No. 9 pick or to the Houston Rockets for the No. 10 pick.

In such a deal, the Nets' cap space will also be stuffed into a "low quality contract".

The Nets may want to move from the 19th to the lottery, send Cam Johnson and the 19th to the Raptors or the Rockets in exchange for the Raptors' No. 9 or the Rockets' No. 10 and a bad contract. This will give the Nets two draft picks in the top 10 picks (provided that neither team needs a draft pick to trade Giannis).

— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) June 4, 2025

These two rumored counterparties are reasonable choices for Johnson. The Rockets performed poorly after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round and needed offensive help. The Raptors are reportedly considering a major deal this summer after trading and renewing Brandon Ingram.

It is not surprising that the Nets intend to improve their draft pick. The Nets have draft picks with 8, 19, 26, 27 and 36 picks. NBA insiders expect the Nets to integrate the lineup and get better players in both this year's draft and in the future.

However, Johnson may be traded to the Raptors or Rockets, which is worth paying attention to for several reasons. The Nets are considering trading Cam Johnson with the Raptors and Rockets in exchange for a second lottery pick last summer, the Nets regained their first-round picks in 2025 and 2026 from the Rockets. In the new season, the Nets face two paths: either give up the trade in exchange for another No. 1 pick, or quickly introduce stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Trade a "winning" player like Johnson for a second lottery while accepting a bad contract, which shows that the Nets are more inclined toward the former.

While the Nets paid an over-signing fee to regain control of the next two draft picks from the Houston Rockets, they have not yet promised a full reconstruction. This season, their interest in Antetokounmpo has been fully demonstrated. However, giving up a veteran like Johnson and choosing a 19-year-old rookie will mean turning a new page for Brooklyn.

Before this year's transfer deadline, several teams asked the Nets about the possibility of trading Johnson. However, they are reluctant to give up on the sharpshooter striker. General Manager Sean Max also held a similar stance on trading Johnson during his resignation interview.

"There are many ways to work with Cam Johnson. What we need is a person with high character, and he is such a person. He is a person with high character and you see him keeping a steady performance every day. We are not in a hurry to give up on a player like this," he told ClutchPoints. We all know it's business and it's important to have candid communication with the players, but I think the next step for Cam is to take on more leadership roles. We just talked to him about this this morning. He has a strong say and is highly respected by his teammates. They like him, he does things seriously. If you want to know, what is the Nets? That's what you want.

When asked about Sean Max's leadership role and potential deals for Cam Johnson, he said:

"There are a lot of teams who want to sign him... But I can't think of a way that Cam is not suitable for... He has a noble character and you see him keeping a steady performance every day. We are not in a hurry... pic.twitter.com/CEII6F0oEE

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) April 14, 2025 Although both Max and the Nets highly value Johnson's skill and leadership, his trade value is unlikely to be higher than this summer. The 28-year-old has just played his career-best season, averaging 18.8 points and 3.4 assists per game, shooting 48% from the field (39% from 3-point shooting) and 89% from 3-point shooting. He and Desmond Bain is the only two players in the NBA who averaged at least 18 points per game and shot higher from the field.

If the Nets finally reached a deal, send Johnson away If they join the Raptors or Rockets with the 19th pick, they will have two top ten picks next season, along with several other young rookies, generous cap space and a lot of future picks.

This is not a bad thing.