Cameron Johnson Reveals Reaction to Finding Out He Was Traded

While NBA players are known for living out their dreams at the highest level of the sport, the job doesn't come without its harsh realities. One of those is unexpectedly getting traded from a team that you've helped succeed over the years.

Former Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson experienced that firsthand on Feb. 9, 2023, when he found out well past midnight that the Phoenix Suns were trading him to Brooklyn. He was part of the blockbuster deal that sent Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren to Phoenix, with Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap heading to the Nets.

During an episode of The Young Man and the Three podcast, Johnson explained that he was in disbelief when he was woken up around 1:30 a.m. by a string of calls from family members who had found out that he had been traded.

“I didn’t have Twitter,” Johnson said. “So I didn’t hear about it until they called me and said, ‘You got traded.’ And I’m like, ‘Are y’all joking? It’s 1:30 in the morning.' “I got phone calls from the GMs about 15 to 20 minutes after I found out about the trade.”

After arriving in Brooklyn, Johnson went on to spend two and a half seasons with the team, leaving the Nets with averages of 16.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range through 140 games.

Johnson had the best season of his career last season, averaging a career-high 18.8 points and 3.4 assists per game. He also had the best statistical single-game performance of his career this season, scoring 37 points and hitting nine three-pointers against the Philadelphia 76ers.

While the North Carolina product reached his career statistical peak in Brooklyn, he ended up not being included in the team's long-term rebuilding plans and was traded to the Denver Nuggets on June 30 in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick.

Throughout his career, Johnson has averaged 16.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.