The Cleveland Cavaliers have a top target on the trade market.
There are plenty of opportunities to dream about the Cavaliers trading for another star, or plenty of reason to think the team is planning to be quiet at the deadline, perhaps just making a small cost-cutting move.
Yet what we know for sure is that Koby Altman and the Cavaliers have called the Brooklyn Nets about swingman Cameron Johnson, the best non-star on the trade market. He would be an obvious fit on the team, a smooth shooting 6'8" forward who can heap 3-pointers on the heads of Cleveland opponents.
The difficulty for Cleveland, as it will be for any significant trade, is building out matching salary. The Cavaliers don't have money on their books attached to non-useful players; anyone they would use to trade for Johnson or another player is a part of the rotation and plays a key role. Trade Isaac Okoro and the Cavs lose their point-of-attack defender; Max Strus is their best movement 3-and-D wing; Georges Niang is having a great season as a stretch-4.
Now add on to that whatever assets the Nets would demand from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Johnson. That cupboard is not a deep one; the Cavaliers traded most of their draft capital in the Donovan Mitchell deal. They have a 2030 first-round swap, a 2031 first and rookie forward Jaylon Tyson. Would a deal from Johnson take two of those pieces? All three?
If Cleveland was alone in pursuing Johnson, it's most likely a deal could be worked out that doesn't completely drain the Cavaliers' coffers and maximizes their standing after the deal. Yet it turns out that the opposite is true: nearly every team in the league is calling about Cam Johnson.
The Sacramento Kings have logged interest. As have the Indiana Pacers. The Miami Heat are calling everyone. The Memphis Grizzlies are third in the Western Conference and looking for an upgrade at forward. The Los Angeles Lakers need an infusion of talent. The Phoenix Suns need a lifeline. The Golden State Warriors need shooting from the frontcourt.
The most difficult suitor to beat out for Cam Johnson, however, may be an insurmountable one: the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder could be aggressive in trading for Cam Johnson
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder have been neck-and-neck all season at the top of the league. Their first showdown was one of the games of the year, and the matchups between these two teams are fascinating. If both teams stay the course, it would not be surprising to see them meet in the NBA Finals.
As the Cavaliers try to pinch their pennies to pursue an upgrade, the Thunder are overflowing with assets. They have a stack of first-round picks a mile high, young talent and matching salary. If they want to get involved, they will have the ability to not only make an aggressive offer but to beat any other team's offer -- and certainly anything the Cavaliers could put on the table.
While the Thunder have been an elite defensive unit all season and have a dangerous offense led by MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they have been a mediocre shooting team. That weakness could be mitigated overnight by trading for Cam Johnson, who may even close games for the Thunder because of his size and skillset as a shooter and scorer.
The premier simulation of the NBA Trade Deadline each season comes via the Dunc'd On Basketball NBA Podcast, and in their "Mock Trade Deadline" exercise earlier this week not only were the Thunder interested in Johnson, they ultimately submitted the winning offer. Here is what they traded for Cam Johnson:
Thunder receive: Cameron Johnson
Nets receive: Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Ajay Mitchell, 2026 first (best of 3 teams), 2029 first (Top-5 protected via Denver)
That's a package of two rotation-level players under contract long-term on value contracts, a promising rookie, and two first-round picks. That immediately is more than the Cavaliers could offer. In the mock deadline the Nets then flipped Isaiah Joe to another team for a third first-round pick.
The Cleveland Cavaliers would love to have Cameron Johnson, but the reality of the situation is that they cannot afford to enter a bidding war with other teams -- and especially not with the Oklahoma City Thunder. All they can do is hope the Thunder end up not paying the cost to become even stronger, or the final boss the Cavaliers have to ultimately defeat may be that much stronger.