Cam Johnson trade speculation is back, and this time the Clippers are the team doing the looking. After Denver’s first-round playoff exit, multiple NBA insiders have linked Johnson to Los Angeles in a deal that could reshape the Clippers’ rotation and give Denver some flexibility for the summer.
Johnson came over from the Nets in last summer’s blockbuster that sent Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn along with a 2032 first-round pick. He had a solid first season in Denver, but the team’s playoff loss has triggered another round of front office introspection. The Nuggets need to retool, and Johnson is one of the few movable contracts on the roster.
The Clippers fit the profile. Los Angeles has shooting depth needs, and Johnson would slot in as a perfect catch-and-shoot complement next to Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. His three-point percentages have been remarkably consistent. He is a 39-percent career three-point shooter, and his decision-making off the catch is among the best at his position.
The proposed framework from Paolo Mariano at ClutchPoints centers around a multi-piece deal that would give Denver salary relief and at least one usable rotation player back. The exact pieces have not been confirmed, but the Clippers have draft capital and contracts that could match Johnson’s deal.
Why now for Denver? Because Nikola Jokic is 31 and entering the back half of his prime. The Nuggets cannot afford another offseason where they lose key pieces without getting reinforcement. They let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk after the 2024 title. They traded Porter last summer. They have a Peyton Watson contract decision coming. Something has to give.
Johnson’s value, ironically, has gone up despite the Nuggets’ early exit. He shot the ball at a high level in the playoffs even as the team around him collapsed. Teams that watched him on Denver tape now know he can produce in a contender’s role.
For the Clippers, the path to a contender is shooting. Harden can create. Leonard can finish. Ivica Zubac is a reliable big. What the team lacks is the kind of corner three threat that opens up the floor. Johnson would provide that immediately.
There is also a long-term thinking element here. The Clippers are running out of windows. Leonard’s body remains the league’s biggest health question. Harden is 36. If the team wants one more deep playoff run with this group, they need to add a real two-way wing on a manageable contract. Johnson is that guy.
The challenge is salary matching. Johnson is making around $22 million per year. The Clippers would need to send out comparable salary. Norman Powell is one name that has come up in speculation. Powell would give Denver scoring punch and an expiring contract that helps with future flexibility.
The Nuggets front office, now under Calvin Booth’s continued direction, will have to weigh whether a trade like this actually moves the needle. Jokic is the kind of player who makes any move worth considering if it improves the supporting cast.
This is not a deal that is close to done. It is the kind of conversation that lives at the bottom of trade season group chats among league executives. But Johnson to the Clippers makes sense for both sides, and that is usually how trades start. Watch the Clippers’ draft moves at the end of June. If they do not pick at No. 11, this trade probably gets done.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
