Regardless of how the Portland Trail Blazers' 2025-26 season shapes up, chances are they are going to be aggressive in the offseason in reinforcing the roster. Joe Cronin and his staff don't have to look far because a division rival, the Denver Nuggets, is facing a roster crunch that could make Cameron Johnson available.
Nuggets youngster Peyton Watson will enter restricted free agency this summer. The team is likely looking to bring him back to the fold at all costs because of his ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Given that it will have a total of over $187 million tied up to five players alone and that the salary cap next season is projected to be $165 million, Denver might have to ship a core player to a different home.
Among those five are Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon, and none of the trio is going anywhere anytime soon. The fourth is Christian Braun, a youngster the Nuggets are seemingly high on.
That leaves Johnson as the odd man out.
Cam Johnson looks like a good fit with the Blazers' core
The possibility that Cam would be a prime trade candidate is not a knock on the forward's merit. He may be having a down year this season by his standards, but he can still bring plenty to the table.
Johnson's value lies primarily in his outside shooting. He has sunk nearly 40 percent of his threes over his career and is shooting 43.0 percent from long range this year. He would provide the Blazers, who are ranked 29th in the league in 3-point shooting percentage in this campaign, with a much-needed efficient marksman. Don't get it wrong; he can also hunt for his own shots, and his secondary shot-making skills will be useful if the squad intends to utilize Deni Avdija as the de facto starting point guard.
On defense, the former lottery pick isn't an all-world perimeter stopper. Still, he can be an above-average team defender when locked in and has proven capable of making up for his lack of athleticism by taking advantage of his size and playing hard.
Cam Johnson could be a low-risk option for Blazers
It remains unclear how much the Blazers might have to give up to have a shot at acquiring Johnson. But the Nuggets probably wouldn't have that much leverage if they do decide to put him on the block because they would be in a place of need.
The problem is that if other teams also express interest in the 30-year-old veteran, a bidding war could ensue.
Whatever the case, Rip City should explore the idea of trading for and doing its due diligence on Johnson. Aside from his potential to be a seamless fit on the squad, he will also be on an expiring contract next season, which could give the organization an out if things don't pan out as well as expected.