The Denver Nuggets have reportedly emerged as a suitor for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who is widely expected to be traded this offseason.
Amid the reports, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons has floated a fascinating scenario in which Boston would land All-Star guard Jamal Murray and 3-and-D wing Cameron Johnson from Denver in a package headlined by Brown.
As per the proposal, the Celtics would acquire Johnson’s expiring $23 M salary using their $27.7M traded player exception (TPE), which they created as part of the Anfernee Simons/Nikola Vucevic trade earlier this year.
Celtics Trade Proposal Lands Jamal Murray
Celtics would receive: Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson (via the TPE)
Nuggets would receive: Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser
Although Murray had a disappointing postseason series against the Minnesota Timberwolves — shooting a subpar 36% and getting exposed defensively — the Toronto native enjoyed his best regular season last year, averaging a career-high 25.4 points and 7.1 assists for the Nuggets. Furthermore, he is a proven winner and a playoff riser, and could be a seamless fit next to Jayson Tatum as a ball-handler and No. 2 option.
Also, Murray is one of the NBA’s best three-point snipers, making him a natural fit in Joe Mazzulla’s system that encourages players to shoot 40+ threes per game. Last season, he made an impressive 3.3 threes per game at a clip of 43.5%. While he won’t be able to replicate Jaylen Brown’s two-way play, he will more than fill the void left on the offensive end, and may even be an upgrade due to his consistent long-range shooting.
Celtics Trade Target: Cam Johnson
As for Johnson, the veteran 3-and-D wing is a risk-free option for the Celtics due to his expiring salary. He may also prove to be a better fit on the Celtics, where role players get plenty of scoring opportunities, unlike a Nuggets system built around Nikola Jokic.
Simmons’ trade pitch comes amid reports that the Celtics have expressed interest in Johnson, who had a rather underwhelming first season with the Nuggets last year. Per HoopsHype’s Michel Scotto, the Nuggets are expected to trade Johnson even if it’s not in a potential Jaylen Brown trade.
“Meanwhile, as the Nuggets navigate getting below the second apron, sharpshooting forward Cam Johnson has drawn trade interest from several teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and Orlando Magic, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto reported on Sunday.
“The 30-year-old forward shot career-highs from the field (.480) and beyond the arc (.430), and is on an expiring $23.06 million contract for the upcoming season.”
Besides the Denver Nuggets, teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, LA Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors have reportedly emerged as leading suitors for Brown. With the C’s reportedly eyeing up to four first-round picks, the Blazers are viewed as the frontrunners to land Brown.
Celtics Proposed to Land Jamal Murray in Blockbuster Trade