Brooklyn plans to use more than $60 million in projected cap space to search for stars through free agency and trades in 2025, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
The Nets have already dealt two veterans this season, Dennis Schroder ($13 million) and Dorian Finney-Smith ($14.9 million, $15.3 million player option), both to offload mid-level contracts and accumulate draft assets. Brooklyn already owns an impressive 15 first-round picks and 16 second-round selections across the next seven drafts, and although neither of the recent trades brought back a first, more shuffling is expected as the Nets keep adding to the pile.
Most don't anticipate this trade season will feature many big names, but Brooklyn's Cam Johnson has certainly emerged among the silence as one of the most sought-after targets heading into the deadline. The six-foot-eight veteran forward, currently averaging 19.5 points and shooting a career-high 49.6 percent from the field, has two years and $43 million remaining on his contract after the 2024-25 season.
In an interview with Sactown Sports 1140, The Athletic's Sam Amick stated the Sacramento Kings appear to view Johnson as 'somewhat of a priority' and have had extensive talks with Brooklyn to explore a trade. The Oklahoma City Thunder, another organization with quite the stash of future first-round picks, has been linked to interest in Johnson as well, with rumors buzzing at the G League Showcase, per HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto.
Even the league-leading Cavaliers were quietly tossed in the mix, via ESPN Cleveland.
"I'm not saying the Cavs are interested in this guy, I'm just giving you an example, I think if you look at Cam Johnson from the Nets..." - Windy on the type of players the Cavs *might* be interested in.
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) January 3, 2025
FULL EPISODE: https://t.co/WTRERUxbWY https://t.co/6cELibeiIV
Windhorst claims the Nets let it be known that Johnson calls for a 'steeper price' than its previous deals given the demand of multiple suitors, furthering the notion that Brooklyn expects multiple first-round picks in exchange for its breakout contributor. Not to mention, in position to execute on a franchise-altering offseason, general manager Sean Marks has all the leverage.
Trade Johnson at a premium, keep him to pair with a star or use him in a package to secure the new face of the Nets – all avenues that lean toward Brooklyn's favor should the right opportunities arise. While failing to create the juggernaut originally expected with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, leading Nets World back to this process, Marks' creativity can still help Brooklyn land significant star power once again.
Frankly, the Nets' draft capital and upcoming cap space make them contenders for basically any player available for a trade, which gives Marks a plethora of options on which direction to take Brooklyn both into the deadline and the summer.