Cavaliers trade rumors: Cleveland is showing interest in Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson

On Thursday night, the Cavaliers were on the road to face the Thunder. Oklahoma City routed the Cavs 134-114 in a game that wasn’t close. The 2024-25 NBA trade deadline is less than three weeks away and rumors are starting to swirl. Jovan Budha of The Athletic shared that the Cavaliers have an interest in making a trade. 

Budha said that executives around the NBA believe the Cavaliers would like to trade for Cam Johnson of the Nets. There are reports that the Cavs are “reluctant” to make any trade. They are fearful of breaking the chemistry their team has built in the first half of the season. Cleveland has until Thursday, February 6 to make a trade.

Is Cam Johnson a realistic trade target for the Cavaliers?

The Cavs are looking to add Cam Johnson alongside Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, per @joevardon

“Executives from three franchises told The Athletic that Cleveland has expressed interest in acquiring 6-foot-8 forward Cam Johnson from the… pic.twitter.com/yJW3fyXa0U

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 17, 2025

The Cleveland Cavaliers have the best record in the Eastern Conference through the first half of the season. Their core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen have been impressive. In the past, Mitchell shouldered a lot of the workload offensively for the Cavs. In 2024-25, other players are stepping up and it has led to high-level team success. Those four players are the unquestioned starters for the Cavs this season. However, their fifth starter depends on the matchup each night.

If the Cavs traded for Cam Johnson, he could become their fifth full-time starter. Johnson is in his sixth professional season and his third with the Nets. In 2022-23, Mikal Bridges and himself were traded to the Nets from the Suns in exchange for Kevin Durant. The 28-year-old has started 33 games for Brooklyn this season. He is averaging a career-high (19.6) points per game. Johnson fits the mold of the players Cleveland has on their roster.

For his career, he shoots (,397) percent from beyond the arc. With the success they’ve had to start 2024-25, it would be a risky move for the Cavs to make a trade. They do not want to part ways with any of their top eight players. Trading for a player like Cam Johnson sounds good on paper but it might not be a realistic option for the Cavs.