Cam Johnson just had the best season of his career and was easily the “MVP” for the Nets this past season. He was efficient, steady, and probably the closest thing Brooklyn had to a “glue guy” in a year where everything else fell apart. But that’s exactly why it’s time to move on.
Brooklyn isn’t chasing 42 wins and a play-in spot. They’re chasing something bigger, a future built on high-ceiling talent and timeline-aligned pieces. Cam Johnson, at 29, simply doesn’t fit that blueprint.
This isn’t a knock on Johnson. He can shoot, move the ball, and defend his position. He’s the kind of player a contender would love to plug in as a third or fourth option. But Brooklyn isn’t that. Not yet. And keeping Cam around just delays the inevitable: a real rebuild centered on youth, development, and upside.
That brings us to Dylan Harper.
Harper isn’t the safe pick. He’s not polished. His jump shot is a work in progress, and he’s not blowing past defenders with elite quickness. But what he does have is the stuff that can’t be taught, which is feel, poise, and a game that slows down when the ball is in his hands. Harper knows how to run a team, get to the rim with craft, and elevate the players around him.
If Brooklyn wants to jumpstart this thing, they need to find a way into the top three of this draft. Their current pick at No. 8 likely won’t cut it. But a package built around Cam Johnson, whose value is arguably at an all-time high, plus one or more of their late first-rounders (19, 26, and 27) might just do the trick.
Brooklyn fans, don’t stress about Harper’s scoring.
Brooklyn already has a professional bucket-getter in Cam Thomas. What they need is someone who can organize the offense, play with pace, and actually run the show, all things that Harper is capable of doing. Even if he’s not dropping 25 a night from day one, he brings balance to a team that’s been stuck in an identity crisis since the KD-Kyrie-Harden saga blew up.
This offseason is about making real decisions. And while Cam Johnson is a great player, he’s more valuable to the Nets as a trade chip than a building block. You don’t build tomorrow by holding onto yesterday. It’s time for Brooklyn to shake things up, and it starts by turning Cam into Harper.