Nets Can't Get Caught Up in Cam Johnson's Potential Nuggets Success

The Brooklyn Nets are set for another season, and one of their former players could be in for a big year. 

The 2025-26 season is unofficially underway. With Tuesday marking the first preseason game in the league and training camp in full swing for all 30 teams, it will only be a matter of time before the NBA tips off another chapter.

For the Nets, that just means a year of patience and process. This summer, the Nets had one of the most ambitious drafts in league history, taking five players in the first round, all of whom project to play somewhat significant roles at some point throughout the 82 games ahead.

However, that wasn’t the reason Brooklyn stole headlines on draft night. Instead, that was because of the Nets’ decision to make a blockbuster deal with the Denver Nuggets, sending out Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 unprotected first-round pick.

Immediately, the deal was seen as a win-win. The Nuggets secured a highly coveted player who might just fit a bit better alongside Nikola Jokic and company in the grueling Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Nets are taking a chance on Porter’s abilities in an expanded role while also adding a pick seven years in the future that could turn into something special.

While it’s easy to see that the 2032 pick was the main reason Brooklyn would want to make a deal like this, it will also be easy for most around the league to forget about that if Johnson gets off to a hot start in his new home. It’s not too difficult to envision Johnson thriving around Jokic and company in Denver, given that he’s already been a key piece on an NBA Finals team before and knows what it takes to win in this league.

It also wouldn’t be too difficult to imagine Porter getting off to a rocky start as defenses are able to focus on him more without the easy buckets that Jokic and Jamal Murray created for him throughout his time in Denver. However, the Nets can’t get too interested in any of the immediate results.

Brooklyn is deep in a rebuild, and asset acquisition is one of the best ways forward for the franchise. While that could mean watching Johnson thrive on a title contender as Porter fails to make a case for another big contract, the 2032 pick could make it all worthwhile if Brooklyn is able to block out the noise next season.