The Charlotte Hornets are in a good spot. They have a great young core, a new head coach, and an apparent plan to reshape the culture in Charlotte for the better moving forward.
They don’t seem inclined to rush things. But while that’s probably the smart approach, when solid players become available, it’s the team’s due dilligence to at least look into potential trades.
Well, the Brooklyn Nets seem to be hosting a fire sale of trades after dealing Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, and Cam Johnson could be the next guy on the chopping block.
Cam Johnson is great Hornets trade target but Lakers, Kings, and Magic would beat them out amid rumors
Johnson is already 28 years old, but he would be a perfect fit for the Hornets. With LaMelo Ball’s passing being his best skill (or one of them), it’s important to put great 3-and-D players around him, and Johnson is just that.
This past season, in 58 games for the Nets, Johnson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 44.6% from the floor and 39.1% from beyond the three-point line.
The veteran forward could step in as an immediate starter or come off the bench if that’s how the Hornets wanted to play things. Charlotte could even consider running a giant lineup at times of Ball, Johnson, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams.
The difficulty with potentially trading for Johnson, however, is his contract. Johnson is slated to earn $23.6 million next year, meaning the Hornets would have to trade some legitimate rotation pieces to make the math work.
Maybe they could pool together Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, and Nick Richards to make the math work, but at that point, it might not be worth it.
Plus, there are three other teams who are reportedly interested in trading for Johnson, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post—the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, and Orlando Magic.
Not only are all three of those teams looking to compete in the playoffs next year, which may be a more attractive situation to Johnson, but they can all match his salary in a deal easier than Charlotte.
So, while Johnson may be a perfect fit for Charlotte on the court, the logistics of a move don’t really make sense, especially with those three teams already in the hunt.