Could Dillon Brooks Land in Brooklyn in a Cam Johnson Draft-Day Trade?

With reports suggesting the Brooklyn Nets will use Cam Johnson to acquire a second lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the team that would benefit the most from adding the veteran sharpshooter would be the Houston Rockets.

Houston, fresh off a round one playoff defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, are in full win-now mode and will be seeking to upgrade its roster for another postseason run. The Rockets have long been listed as a suitor for Johnson, and their ownership of the 10th overall pick creates an even likelier scenario that Johnson will land in Houston.

However, to make the salaries work, Brooklyn will have to get a player back in the projected trade-up. If the Nets are able to snag pick 10 and a player like Dillon Brooks, their immediate future will look even brighter. Brooks is the definition of an impact player. He's coming off a season that saw his best hit-rate from beyond the arc in his career, en route to a 14 points-per-game average.

In HC Jordi Fernandez's gritty, high-effort system, there's reason to believe Brooks would flourish. In the same way Ziaire Williams found success at the three spot last year, Brooks likely becomes an immediate leader on defense.

Plus, Brooklyn gets pick 10, gaining the ability to add another top talent in this summer's class. Marks could turn Johnson and one of the Nets' late first-rounders (one of pick 19, 26 or 27) into Brooks and possibly Khaman Malauch or Derik Queen.

That's on top of Brooklyn's own pick at eight, where it could look into selecting a player like Jeremiah Fears to headline its backcourt going forward.

If before free agency even commences, the Nets have added two stud rookies and Brooks, next year's roster could be the most exciting Brooklyn has seen since Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden shared the floor. Plus, the Nets have tons of cap room available and could still attempt to after a Jonathan Kuminga-type player, even though the franchise is reportedly not presently preparing to pursue the Warriors forward.

There are so many avenues Brooklyn can exhaust to improve, all starting with the NBA Draft on June 25.