The Phoenix Suns and PF Cameron Johnson failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension going into the beginning of the NBA season. Johnson has been a pivotal piece to the recent success in the past years as his role has expanded.
The 2019 first-round pick has steadily improved his game and continued to show why he’s worthy of a contract extension. Johnson has gone from averaging 8.8 PPG his rookie year to 12.5 PPG in the 2021-22 season. His 3PT percentage has increased from 39% to 42.5% and FG% 43% to 46%, all while an increase in attempts in both three pointers and field goals by nearly three whole shots in each respective category.
The numbers validate an extension, and these numbers were perhaps part of the arguments made by Johnson’s team of agents, which includes Devin Booker’s father at Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
The Suns certainly need a piece such as Johnson moving forward: A young, talented player who shoots efficiently and can guard big or small because of his athletic ability and length.
Johnson fits well into a “three and D” movement the NBA is heading towards.
Why was a deal not made?
Many factors go into contract negotiations and often the ins and outs of NBA negotiations are far more complicated than outsiders will ever know. A few things are certain though as to why a deal wasn’t completed to begin the season:
Uncertainty of ownership
Johnson's camp was interested from the beginning of contract negotiations in what the aftermath of the Robert Sarver saga will look like. Both the Phoenix Suns and Cam Johnson would like the see what kind of direction the team will head once a new ownership is established after the one-year ban of Robert Sarver.
This is one reason why both parties were reluctant to establish a deal. In an article written by Duane Rankin of the AZ Republic, Johnson expressed his hesitancy in ownership. Johnson told Rankin “Negotiations are interesting, especially when ownership is unclear."
Both the Suns and Johnson will have some intrigue in new ownership and what it means for both after the season.
Uncertainty of role
The Jae Crowder situation has been well documented around the NBA and both the Suns and Crowder have made it clear that a trade is likely. With this being said, Johnson is in line to start as a forward this season.
Now owning a starting role, Johnson and his agents are expecting Johnson to be paid as such. The average NBA power forward makes around 7.8 mil a year and the average small forward makes around 8.4, both positions Johnson will be expected to play in various lineups. Johnson will make 5.8 mil this season, making him the 79th highest paid forward this season, as a starter.
However, the Suns have yet to see any production from Johnson with such a large increase in minutes and responsibility. The 26-year-old will have a major role this season, something the Suns weren’t willing to pay for without seeing the production first, leading Johnson to become a restricted free agent (RFA).
Comparative market
Another factor to consider is the comparative market for Johnson in the league. Johnson’s role offensively as a spot-up wing and off-ball wing defender is a trendy position in the NBA, especially young players who have recently entered the league, making his value more expendable to NBA teams, especially the Suns.
According to craftednba.com, a site that takes metric data on basketball and allows for player comparison tools to rate players, the closest comparable player to Cam Johnson is Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen was awarded with a 4-year 67 mil contract from the Utah Jazz.
The value that the Suns are getting for Cam Johnson for this year is extremely high considering his counter parts of similar caliber.
This was and will be a key factor when negotiating contracts. The Suns understand the situations they are in, they can get Johnson at a low price tag this season. On the other side, Johnson and his representatives know that this could be a huge bargaining piece when that time rolls around again at the end of the season.
Both Johnson and the Suns could not reach an agreement for many reasons.
But regardless of the reasons, Johnson will see more minute and more responsibility. The only thing that left to do for Johnson and the Suns is to play it out. Johnson will be playing for a contract this season and the Suns will be looking for reasons to match any offer that will come next year.
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