Nuggets Send Loud Message to Thunder with Early Free Agency Surge

One of the first major pieces of news after free agency officially opened was not a signing. It was the Nuggets acquiring Cam Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick.

Porter Jr. and his massive contract were quickly becoming a liability for the Nuggets. After years of relatively dependable production, the championship-winning forward was quickly growing into a lackluster support piece for Nikola Jokic.

Johnson does everything Porter Jr. does, and he does it better, with more to boot. The former Nets sharpshooter is much versatile as a scorer and should be a seamless upgrade as a shooter that can play off Jokic's passing ability.

Johnson told Michael Scotto, "I’m excited to compete for a championship. It’s a new beginning."

That opportunity to compete for a championship was further boosted by a reunion with Bruce Brown in free agency. Shams Charania announced the former NBA champion would be going back to Denver on a one-year deal.

Brown was a pivotal role player for the Nuggets during their championship run in 2023. The two-way wing averaged 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 26.5 minutes off the bench for Denver in those NBA Playoffs.

What is the best part of this process? The Nuggets still have financial flexibility to keep making acquisitions in free agency after the Porter Jr. trade. The Thunder should look more and more beatable with every addition to the supporting cast in Denver.