Getty Warriors coach Steve Kerr (middle)
Unless there are injuries or other drop-outs, it is a longshot that the Warriors’ Steve Kerr will coach forward Cameron Johnson again this summer, after he’d done so during the 2023 World Cup a summer ago. The 2024 Olympic entry for the Paris games will feature NBA A-listers.
But Kerr did have high praise for Johnson, as well as former Suns and Nets teammate Mikal Bridges, from his time together with them, praise that could ring a bit louder now that Bridges has been traded out of Brooklyn in a megadeal with the Nets, and Johnson could be soon to follow.
Kerr said of the duo last August, “I already knew what kind of players they were from coaching against them, but they’re so mature: There’s a calming sense from both guys. And they’re also modern-day basketball players: shoot the three, guard multiple positions, long athletically. They’re huge components to this team.”
If we know nothing else about Kerr, we do know he likes modern-day basketball players and, indeed, has helped mold just how we view such players. With the Dubs seeking trade upgrades this offseason, a look at Johnson might just make sense for Golden State.
Cameron Johnson Had a Down Year in 2023-24
The big question would be how much it would take for the Nets to part with Johnson. If a deal can be made for a salary match and a first-round pick, the Warriors would have to be interested. After all, Johnson has a career 3-point shooting rate of 39.2%. He was at 39.1% this year and peaked at 42.5% from the arc in his third season, when he was playing for the Suns.
After that season, Phoenix gave Johnson a four-year, $94.5 million contract extension. He has never taken a big leap forward offensively, but he averages 11.7 points for his career, and scored 13.4 points per game last year. He struggled to stay healthy, though, and has played only 110 games in the past two seasons, moving to the bench in the last part of this season.
That should make one first-round pick enough to pluck Johnson from the Nets.
“I can’t see them getting two first-rounders for (Johnson),” one NBA executive told Heavy Sports. “I can see them asking for two first rounders, but not getting them. He is a good player, he is a stretch-4 and those are hard to find. Not real big (6-foot-8) but he is a good defender, can switch a lot, and really, a good third option who can stretch the floor for you.
“That is the ideal role player for a lot of teams. There is gonna be a market for him.”
Warriors Could Include Future First-Rounder
The Warriors would have some options as far as acquiring Johnson. They could deal away Chris Paul for him, though doing so would be a bit of a below-the-belt move for a team that wants to either bring back Paul, grant him free agency by not guaranteeing his contract, or send him to a team for which he wants to play. They could make a deal with the understanding that the Nets would waive Paul thereafter.
The Warriors could include Moses Moody as a trade chip, perhaps adding more protection to its first-rounder in, say, 2026. In that scenario, the Warriors would also have to unload Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II to make the salaries match.
Losing Moody might be difficult, but if the Warriors have a sense that they could bring back Klay Thompson, then trading Moody for a player who fits better positionally would be worthwhile.
Kerr has eyes for Johnson, as do several coaches and GMs around the NBA. It’s entirely possible the Warriors could make a play for him.