The Denver Nuggets have already sent a pretty clear signal on Cam Johnson: they’re not interested in moving him just to make the math work.
That was the latest word from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on Wednesday, when he reported that teams around the league have been calling Denver about the 30-year-old forward, only to run into a wall.
“Numerous teams have called the Denver Nuggets hoping they’d be willing to dump forward Cam Johnson, who’s owed $23.06 million in the final year of his contract, but those inquiries have been rebuffed, league sources told HoopsHype.”
That stance makes sense. Denver gave up an unprotected pick for Johnson last offseason, and it would be hard to justify cutting bait this soon, especially with the team trying to manage financial pressure without weakening the roster.
Johnson’s first season in Denver wasn’t spotless, but it was productive enough to show why the Nuggets value him. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 48% from the field and 43% from three. He appeared in 54 games, with a bone bruise in his knee sidelining him for more than a month, part of a season in which Denver was also hit hard by injuries.
If the Nuggets are going to get where they want to go, they need Johnson healthy and in rhythm. That’s especially true with Tim Hardaway Jr. providing shooting off the bench, which only raises the importance of Johnson’s spacing.
The next step for Johnson is simple enough: be more aggressive. Denver needs him looking for his own shot more often, and a second season in the system should help him play with more comfort and confidence.
The chances to shoot will be there. He just has to take them.
Josh Kroenke said when the offseason began that everything was on the table for the Nuggets, except trading Jokić. But Denver has been mostly quiet since then, and that suggests the franchise is still focused on another title push. In that kind of setup, Johnson matters.
He started slowly last season, which fit the usual adjustment period that comes with landing on a new team in a new system. It took longer than fans probably wanted, but he settled in. This time around, he won’t be dealing with that same learning curve when October arrives.
For a team trying to stay in the hunt, that makes Johnson too useful to move now.
In Other News...
Nuggets Quiet Summer Is Raising A Bigger West Concern
Denvers offseason has been more about holding the line than pushing forward, with the front office adding Marvin Bagley III, Alpha Diallo, and rookies Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins while otherwise keeping the core intact. In a vacuum, that might feel like patience. In a Western Conference where San Antonio, Oklahoma City, the Lakers, Minnesota and Houston have all found ways to upgrade, it looks a lot more like standing still.
The concern is less about star power than the edges of the roster, where the Nuggets can ill afford to be thin if the conference keeps getting deeper around them. There are questions in the backcourt, the frontcourt mix is crowded without looking especially clean, and Hopkins remains unsigned, leaving the summer unfinished as training camp approaches. For a team trying to stay in the top tier, that kind of quiet can start to sound like a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Why Nikola Jokic's Extension Still Feels Unsettling For Nuggets Fans
Nikola Jokic has said he plans to sign a contract extension with Denver, which should be enough to calm most fan bases. It usually would be for the Nuggets, too, except this offseason has kept the conversation alive in a way that feels a little off for a reigning centerpiece. Analyst Bobby Marks has been among those questioning how much the roster has actually changed, and his skepticism has only sharpened the sense that Denver is still trying to prove its latest version can keep pace in a crowded West.
The uneasy part is that Jokic himself has not given anyone reason to think he is looking for drama, and that matters. Still, whenever a superstars long-term future comes up around a team that is searching for the right next move, the mind naturally drifts to cautionary examples from around the league, including the path that eventually took Giannis Antetokounmpo out of Milwaukee. Denver is not there, and Jokic has not acted like a player setting the stage for anything like that, but the lingering questions are enough to keep the topic from going away. [Read more 🡒]