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Phoenix Suns ahead Cam Johnson understands the calculus at play when he is included in hypothetical commerce packages for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant.
Johnson informed the Arizona Republic‘s Duane Rankin, “You’ve acquired to count on a staff to do what’s of their greatest pursuits and attempt to win a championship.” He added that mindset ought to be shared by gamers as effectively:
“I used to be in Chapel Hill with Puff. I’m sitting within the locker room and the information breaks. It’s Puff’s teammates, my teammates. I’m like, nah man, don’t put me on this. And subsequent factor you understand, whoever it was, Windy (Brian Windhorst) or any person on the TV was like naming the potential commerce targets. Naming DA, me, Mikal. And I used to be like, come on man, but it surely’s the enterprise. Like I mentioned, it’s the enterprise. If that’s one thing that will get completed, then that was simply a part of God’s plan and also you’ve acquired to maintain on rolling.”
Johnson averaged a career-high 12.5 factors and shot 42.5 p.c from past the arc in 2021-22. He is nonetheless on his rookie contract and as a consequence of be a restricted free agent in 2023.
For a franchise just like the Nets that desires to contend whereas laying the groundwork for the long run, the 26-year-old could be a beautiful piece so as to add as a part of any Durant commerce. Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz proposed sending Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and a bevy of draft picks and decide swaps to Brooklyn.
If the Suns finally do land Durant, then it is powerful to examine an final result by which they will retain Johnson too. Matching Deandre Ayton’s four-year, $132.9 million supply sheet meant being unable to commerce the younger heart till Jan. 15 on the earliest.
With Ayton off the desk and Devin Booker presumably untouchable, Johnson and Bridges are Phoenix’s two greatest participant belongings in a deal for Durant or one other marquee star this offseason.
This is probably not the final time Johnson finds himself in a state of limbo.
The 2019 first-round decide is a beneficial member of the Suns’ rotation however not irreplaceable. In consequence, he figures to be linked to no matter perennial All-Star is on Phoenix’s radar in a commerce.
It is the identical factor that has occurred to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown. Even after making his first All-Star staff in 2020-21 and serving to the Celtics attain the 2022 NBA Finals, Brown was nonetheless provided to Brooklyn in a blockbuster transfer for Durant, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Johnson appears to know that as a lot as he is thought-about to be a part of Phoenix’s basis now, the scenario may change reasonably drastically briefly order.
