Cam Johnson showing up for offseason work in Phoenix is the kind of sight that gets Suns fans talking fast.
The former Phoenix forward was spotted at the team’s practice facility with current players, and that alone was enough to stir up reunion chatter around The Valley. Johnson remains a popular figure in Phoenix, and the fit is easy to picture if the money ever lines up.
A return this offseason doesn’t look realistic, but there’s at least a path for Johnson to end up back with the Suns before his career is over. He’s clearly still on good terms with the organization, which matters when a player can work out at the facility even while suiting up for a rival like the Denver Nuggets.
Johnson also still has a house in the area and is known to spend time there, which helps explain why he’s around the Suns so often. He was part of the 2021 NBA Finals team, and he has long had a strong relationship with Devin Booker.
The timing also matters on the roster side. Phoenix is already beyond the first apron and, with Jonathan Kuminga’s surprise move to the Minnesota Timberwolves, will likely be extending Miles Bridges before long.
Johnson, meanwhile, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. He’s dealt with plenty of injury issues for a Nuggets team that also has money to move before adding more pieces.
A minimum deal in Phoenix isn’t the answer for Johnson, and his days of commanding major money appear to be behind him. Even so, if the Suns are serious about contending, bringing him back as a bench piece and recapturing some of that 2021 feel would make a lot of sense. It would also be a popular move with a fanbase that did not love the surprise move for Bridges.
There was another notable detail in the workout video: it was posted by New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jeremiah Fears.
At just 19, Fears would be a fascinating long-term answer to Phoenix’s point guard issues. The Suns haven’t been linked to him, and there’s no deal on the table, but his presence and connection with people in the building are worth noting. Around the NBA, these kinds of relationships can matter later.
For now, the video is just that - an offseason workout clip. But it was enough to get Suns fans imagining a future with Johnson back in Phoenix and maybe even Fears in the mix down the road.
In Other News...
Former Suns Finals Sparkplug May Be Drifting Out Of Phoenix Plans
With training camps getting closer, Cameron Payne still sits unsigned, and the former Suns sparkplug is looking at an uncertain NBA market after last playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Phoenixs current backcourt picture makes a reunion increasingly unlikely, especially with the team choosing to evaluate younger guards and see who can carve out a larger role before the season begins.
Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Jamaree Bouyea are all in the mix for those minutes, giving the Suns a different kind of guard competition than the one Payne would step into. For a player who once provided energy and playoff-shotmaking for Phoenix, the door does not appear completely shut around the league, but the path back to the Suns is getting harder to see. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Kennard Could Force A Real Suns Lineup Decision
Luke Kennards arrival gives the Suns something they have been short on around the edges of the roster: another shooter who can also keep the ball moving. If his passing gains carry over, he could become more than a specialist, because Phoenix has been looking for cleaner spacing and a little more playmaking to support the scoring around Jalen Green, Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks.
The tricky part is that Kennards value may not be limited to spot minutes. His defensive limitations are still part of the equation, but the offensive fit is good enough to make the Suns think harder about how they want their best five arranged. At some point, that kind of balance can turn a bench addition into a lineup decision, and Phoenix may have to decide how much creation it wants on the floor without giving up too much defense. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Rotation Squeeze Puts Three Players In A Tough Spot
The Suns rotation picture is getting tighter, and the pressure is starting to show on a few familiar names. With new roster additions and more competition around the lineup, Ryan Dunn, Jamaree Bouyea and Jalen Green are all in line to see less floor time than they did before, which is never a comfortable place for players trying to carve out a steady role.
For Dunn, the squeeze goes beyond simply losing minutes, because his place in the long-term plan suddenly looks less secure as the season unfolds. Bouyea is expected to have a smaller part to play than he did a year ago, and Green, whose usage is already headed in the wrong direction, could wind up sliding even further down the pecking order if the minutes keep shrinking. [Read more 🡒]