Denver’s Stance on Cam Johnson Trade Queries Has Rival Teams Scratching Their Heads

The Denver Nuggets have a problem. It’s a good problem, depending on how you look at it, but it’s still a problem.

They have too many guys they like and not enough money to keep them all. And the one guy who could solve that financial knot — forward Cam Johnson — is apparently off the table.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, multiple teams have called Denver asking about Johnson, who is owed $23.06 million in the final year of his contract. Those calls have been shut down. The Nuggets are not interested in moving him, despite the cap relief that would come with it.

That’s a bit of a pivot from where the offseason conversation started. Early on, it seemed like Denver might be open to serious roster shuffling after a first-round playoff exit. Johnson’s name came up as a potential salary dump candidate. But the front office appears to have changed its mind.

And it’s not hard to see why.

Johnson shot career highs from the field (48 percent) and from three-point range (43 percent) last season, even while injuries limited him to 54 starts. Over his last 15 regular-season games, he averaged 15.2 points on 56.2 percent shooting overall and a scorching 48.2 percent from deep. That’s the kind of production that makes a front office think twice before moving a guy.

The Peyton Watson Factor

Here’s where it gets complicated. The Nuggets are also trying to figure out a way to sign Peyton Watson to a new contract. They can’t do it right now because the cap math doesn’t work. If Johnson’s salary stays on the books, Denver might have to move someone else — Christian Braun or Aaron Gordon, for instance — to create the room.

Or, and this is the scenario nobody wants to talk about, they might just let Watson walk. Stick with what they have and hope the core holds together another year.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported earlier this month that the Nuggets had already rejected several offers for Johnson. They also noted that some rival teams expected Denver to focus on trading Braun after the early playoff exit, but that the timing was bad given Braun’s injury history and the fact his five-year deal doesn’t even kick in until 2026-27.

So the Nuggets are essentially stuck in a holding pattern. They like Johnson. They like Watson. They like Braun and Gordon. But they can’t keep everybody. Something has to give. For now, the front office is betting that keeping Johnson is worth the headaches down the line.

Whether that bet pays off is a question for next summer.