The Los Angeles Lakers are reported to have trade interest in Cameron Johnson by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, but the franchise would be foolish to make that deal. The 6’8 forward is coming off an inconsistent season in Denver and is best at the four. The Lakers would have to part with Rui Hachimura or LeBron James after making this trade. That is not the type of upgrade LA needs to be a serious title contender.
LeBron James is better than Johnson, and Johnson is only a slight upgrade over Rui. The Ringer ranked King James as the 20th best player in the NBA. Johnson was 90th with Rui clocking in at 100. That small upgrade wouldn’t be worth the extra dollars the Lakers would have to pay Johnson.
The current Nuggets forward is set to make $23.0 million in the final year of his contract. Hachimura will likely have to settle for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception in free agency of $15 million. Every dollar counts in the second apron era, so LA would be better off having Rui and the $8.0 million to spend elsewhere.
The Lakers should avoid Cameron Johnson trade despite rumored interest
Johnson is a sharpshooter. He has made 39.6 percent of his career 3-point attempts, but there are questions about the rest of his game. The 30-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 30.5 minutes per contest with the Nuggets. He has the size to defend multiple positions, but his poor rebounding and lack of point-of-attack defense would be problems for the purple and gold.
The Lakers would be better off prioritizing LeBron James. They can likely get the GOAT to come back for $30 million per year, and the $7 million increase would be worth it for a true game-changer.
The last thing the Lakers need is another power forward. Fans saw LeBron and Rui eat into each other’s minutes and production last season. There is no doubt that Rob Pelinka and the front office kicked the tires on a Cameron Johnson trade, but they can’t acquire him. LA would be better off bringing back LeBron and/or Rui than trading for Johnson.
The Lakers could lose Rui and LeBron this summer. Hachimura is drawing interest from the Spurs, and King James’ future feels up in the air. Then, a trade for Johnson makes some sense, but doesn’t upgrade the roster. They are just acquiring Hachimura with slightly more playmaking. Sadly, that is the last thing LA needs with Luka and Austin Reaves running the offense.
Acquiring Johnson would put the Lakers in another tricky extension situation. The 6’8 forward will want more money in his next contract. LA just played it out with half of the roster heading into unrestricted free agency. They need a long-term plan around Luka Doncic, and can’t give Johnson over $100 million to be a multi-year fit.
The Los Angeles Lakers must avoid a Cameron Johnson trade. It isn’t a big enough upgrade for the cost. The Nuggets are in a tricky situation that could become a full-blown disaster. Expect to see both teams make moves in hopes of catching the Spurs and Thunder. Trading for Johnson just can’t be the Lakers' answer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google