![Thunder trade target Cam Johnson of the Nets](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2195198207-e1738163839228.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780)
At 37-8, the Thunder hold the best record in the NBA and thus, heading into next week’s NBA trade deadline, are not under much pressure to execute a deal. In fact, there’s a sense around the NBA that OKC might be quite content to let their current roster play out the season as is, and build on the wild success the team’s young stars have racked up in the past year-plus.
“I do not get the sense that they’re busy,” one Eastern Conference GM said. “They’re always very methodical. They have a lot of picks on hand and they can use those if it means an upgrade either with their assets (improving their current slate of picks) or players, but they’re not beating the bushes.”
Still, the Thunder are the team most often mentioned around Nets star Cam Johnson, a versatile big man who can play small forward, power forward and, importantly for the Thunder, some small-ball center. Johnson is in the second year of a four-year, $95 million extension, and is averaging 19.3 points while shooting 43.2% from the 3-point line. He’s dealing with an ankle injury but should return soon.
OKC Thunder Make Sense
The Thunder probably most need a backup center, with uncertainty lingering around the health of Chet Holmgren, who is likely to return from a hip injury next month. Isaiah Hartenstein, too, has had health issues, and just returned from a calf injury.
But OKC is also comfortable using small lineups, so they do not necessarily need a big guy to help fill in when Holmgren or Hartenstein are not on the floor.
With that in mind, Johnson makes sense as a target. His contract is not overwhelming for a player of his caliber, and though he’s had a starring spot in Brooklyn this year, he is comfortable fitting in as a fourth option with a contender.
“I’d love him in Oklahoma City,” one Western Conference exec said. “He can knock down corner 3s and with that team, he would have plenty of chances to do it. They are already a versatile team, they’ve got guys who do a little of everything but he can really just amplify the things they already do well.”
Cam Johnson Trade: Too Good to Pass Up?
Getting Johnson to the Thunder would not be especially difficult, because OKC has significant assets to offer, with a trove of picks on hand. The execs weighed in on this potential deal …
Potential trade: Cam Johnson to Thunder for Kenrich Williams, Ousmane Dieng, Nikola Topic, plus two first-rounders.
One of the first-round picks could be a premium pick, like the one the Thunder are owed from Philadelphia in 2025 (Top 6 protected) or the Heat’s 2026 first-rounder. The other could be a Thunder pick, which would likely be near the bottom of the first round for the foreseeable future.
Adding Topic would be a wildcard–he is 19 years old and recovering from ACL surgery, but was a lottery pick last year. The Thunder do not need to make a trade to contend, but getting Johnson for a package that does not put a dent into its rotation might prove to be irresistible.
“If you’re just peeling off a couple of picks and you’re including Topic, who a lot of people think is going to be outstanding, but not for two or three years, then it’d be hard for the Thunder to pass on a chance like that,” the West exec said. “And I don’t think the Nets would get a better offer than that.”
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Cam Johnson Trade Rumors: Execs Weigh in on Thunder Potential Deal