Mar 29, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (2) takes a shot before a game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Cam Johnson Breaks Silence on Nuggets-Nets Trade

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI
By Will Despart | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 8:36 PM ET

The Denver Nuggets opened the offseason by making a blockbuster move, sending Michael Porter Jr. and his $179 million contract plus a first-round draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for small forward Cam Johnson.

Johnson recently broke his silence on the move while making a recent appearance on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's "Dawg Talk" podcast, calling his new teammate Nikola Jokic the "best player in the world."

Cam Johnson went on KCP's @Thedawgtalkpod and talked about being traded to Denver.

"Jok, best player in the world..." pic.twitter.com/k4I7wpQC5F
— Grace (@ErinBurr27) July 17, 2025

"It's like, alright, now I get a chance to actually compete for a championship," Johnson said. "I don't know how many teams you could say could compete for a championship year in and year out, but I feel like this team right now, they've shown it."

"And (Jokic) is the best player in the world. Like, you know, the opportunities he opens up offensively. And I started thinking, how am I going to fit into the system?"

"The experience in Brooklyn last year for me was really eye opening on the NBA level because I started seeing defenses that I haven't seen in a really long time. I came into the NBA as a spot up shooter. I'm in the corners a lot. It's cool because I'm trying to function as high level as I can in my role to win games."

The Denver Nuggets get significant flexibility by swapping Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson.

-$40 million saved
-They get under the luxury tax
-They open up the $14.1 million mid-level
-$16.8 million trade exception

And more possibilities by getting under the first apron. pic.twitter.com/JYIeFDqQCH
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) June 30, 2025

Johnson averaged a career-high 18.8 points for Brooklyn last season, starting all 57 appearances he made for the team. Johnson is also a career 45% shooter from the field and was a key role player on the Phoenix Suns team that advanced to the NBA Finals in 2021.

This article first appeared on Denver Nuggets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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