Brooklyn Nets: Sacramento Kings Reportedly ‘Discussed’ Cam Johnson Trade

A report from ClutchPoints’ Michael Scotto said that the Sacramento Kings had “discussed” trading for Cam Johnson with the Brooklyn Nets before deciding to make one-time all-star available for trade.

SNY’s Ian Begley linked the Nets to Fox in a Jan. 28 tweet, saying that Brooklyn were “among the teams [viewing him] as a trade target” and that they were “monitoring” the situation. ESPN and the YES Network’s Frank Isola echoed that the Nets were “in play” and “one of the options,” per a source.

However, Scotto’s report adds that “acquiring [Fox] at the start of a rebuild in the middle of the season with no other stars around him and then having to pay him a max contract in the summer of 2026 doesn’t align with Brooklyn’s rebuilding plan.” That’s when the Sacramento point guard will be an unrestricted free agent, hence the Kings being open to moving him ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. 

Fox is in his eighth NBA season, and is averaging 25.1 points and 6.2 assists per game. He is making about $34.8 million this season, which will go up to $37 million next year. The Nets are projected to have more than $60 million in cap space after this season.

It’s also worth noting that Brooklyn can decide to focus on rebuilding via the draft, rather than through the trade market or free agency. The Nets will have 31 picks — 15 first-rounders, 16 second-rounders — over the next seven years. Brooklyn has four first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, plus an additional second-rounder.

“The ultimate goal here is at some point to be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re contending for a championship,’” general manager Sean Marks said on Jan. 2 to The New York Post. “That’s what every team wants to be able to build up to do that. And hopefully with the flexibility that we’ve got and we’ll have an opportunity to do that at some point. When that is, I couldn’t answer.”

The Kings’ interest in Johnson has previously been reported. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Jan. 23 that teams around the league “know about” Sacramento’s proposed package of Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles and a potential first-rounder and are looking at it at “some type of benchmark to go beat.”

Johnson, 28, might be the buzziest name ahead of the trade deadline — and that includes the likes of Jimmy Butler or Brandon Ingram who could also be on the move. The Nets wing is having the best season of his career, averaging 19.4 points on 49.1/41.9/89.8 shooting splits. He’d be a fit for most, if not every, contender. 

Johnson is making $22.5 million this season, but his apron salary actually comes with an additional $4.5 million in unlikely bonuses. This makes any possible deal even more complicated under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, which encourages teams to increasingly value draft assets.

Johnson hasn’t played since Jan. 21, as he is currently dealing with a right ankle sprain. He won’t feature in the Nets’ Feb. 1 contest against the Houston Rockets. Fox, on the other hand, just visited Barclays Center on Jan. 27 and left with 30 points, plus the win.