Could the Nets trade Cam Johnson to 76ers prior to 2025 NBA Draft?

USA Today

24-05-2025

Could the Nets trade Cam Johnson to 76ers prior to 2025 NBA Draft?
The Brooklyn Nets have four first-round picks to use in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, but they did come away from the Lottery with the disappointing result of the No. 8 overall pick. While Brooklyn could select a player at that spot that would likely make an impact for the Nets, there is a possibility of them trying to trade up in the Draft for a player with a more dependable profile.
If the Nets stay with the eighth overall pick in the Draft, they would probably be looking at players like Maryland center Derik Queen, Duke forward Kon Knueppel, and French forward Noa Essengue, just to name a few. Any of those players would be a good selection at that position, but Brooklyn could be more interested in someone like Rutgers forward Ace Bailey or Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe.
For Brooklyn to get the chance of taking Bailey or Edgecombe, they would likely have to end up with a top-4 pick. The good news is that the Philadelphia 76ers may be willing to part with the No. 3 pick in the Draft, but it would most likely come down to what the deal looks like. Sixers Wire's Ky Carlin gave his take on what it would cost for Philadelphia to move off the third overall pick:
Why would the Sixers be interested in Cam Johnson?
Ky Carlin, Sixers Wire: The Sixers have stated in the past that they plan on making a selection at No. 3, and it makes sense when considering they do need an injection of youth to this roster, but plans change. I wonder that if Cam Johnson is truly available, the Sixers would love to put a bid in for him. He shot 39% from deep on high volume (7.2 attempts) and is a good fit as a catch-and-shoot player for Philadelphia. One has to believe the Sixers would be interested. Also, the Sixers would still be acquiring some sort of draft pick from the Nets so they would still be able to nab a younger piece.
Sharif Philips-Keaton, Nets Wire: The Sixers would be one of many teams interested in Johnson, especially since he's coming off the best season of his career. Philadelphia put together a roster that theoretically should have been a competitor on paper, but injuries to Joel Embiid and Paul George put a damper on those dreams. Johnson isn't the healthiest guy that the Sixers could trade for, but played through a lot of nicks and bruises to suit up for 57 games.
What would a potential deal look like?
Ky: This is where things get tricky. Of course, it would involve swapping the No. 3 pick to Brooklyn for the No. 8 pick (or some combination of picks 19 and 27), but Johnson makes $20 million in 2025-26 so the money would be a bit tough to match. The Sixers could send some combination of Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond–assuming both players opt into their player options–and another player, probably Eric Gordon, but it would be tough to get done. Plus, swapping these picks would save about $5-to-8 million and create some more wiggle room to bring back Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency.
Sharif: The Nets may want to use assets other than Johnson to sweeten the deal, but if they were willing to use him to get the third overall pick, Brooklyn could also open up a starting role for another young player. Oubre and Drummond would make the money work and they would get a path to playing time in Brooklyn for the most part. It's possible that the Nets could be interested in a reunion with Lonnie Walker IV, but that would depend on what the guard rotation looks like.
Why would the Nets want to do this type of deal?
Ky: They want to move up, don't they? The Nets just finished the first year of a rebuild while the Sixers still have their eyes on contention. The idea of the Sixers getting younger sounds good on paper, but when's the last time a team won a championship with a rookie being a key contributor in the rotation? Philadelphia should be looking into adding a win-now type of player and Johnson makes sense for them. The Nets should be looking to add a top 3 pick in this draft to accelerate the rebuild a bit.
Sharif: Reportedly, the Nets are expected to find a way to trade up in this draft and the Dallas Mavericks are expected to take Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick and go from there. The San Antonio Spurs may be a trade partner, but they would probably want more than Johnson and the eighth overall pick for the right to select Dylan Harper. The Sixers are most likely the best candidate for the Nets to trade with and Philadelphia has a way to make the money work in a Johnson trade that wouldn't saddle Brooklyn with players whose contracts last beyond the 2025-26 season. The Nets would probably be looking for a trade like this.