Cameron Johnson confident he’ll find his place with Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson has experienced the highest of highs playing in the NBA Finals. The seven-year NBA veteran also has encountered the low life, playing parts of three seasons for the struggling Brooklyn Nets.

Now that Johnson is back on the winning side of the NBA, he is trying his best to fit in with a renewed appreciation for winning in his latest chapter.

“I know what they have accomplished here and I’m just trying to acclimate myself as soon as possible,” Johnson told Andscape. “It’s an exciting opportunity.”

The Nuggets acquired Johnson on July 8 from the Nets in exchange for forward Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick. Denver made the surprising move after a second-round playoff exit to stay under the luxury tax by dealing Porter. In Johnson, the Nuggets acquired a 6-foot-8 veteran forward known for his 3-point shooting, solid scoring and versatile defensive skills.

In line with the Nuggets’ title aspirations, Johnson has previous Finals experience, playing a key reserve role for the Phoenix Suns during the 2021 NBA Finals. After an emotional second-round playoff exit in 2022, the Suns traded Johnson and other key players, and they also fired head coach Monty Williams. On Feb. 9, 2023, the Suns made a blockbuster four-team trade to get Kevin Durant from the Nets in exchange for forward Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and four first-round draft picks.

Johnson, 29, acknowledged that he wonders “all the time” if his old Suns team of himself, Bridges, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul could have returned to the NBA Finals if the franchise kept them together.

“We had a fun group that we really enjoyed playing together and accomplished some things,” Johnson said. “And we still had more on the horizon. We were close and our system felt developed in place to keep taking steps. We had that rough playoff for us and then some injuries. But I felt like if we had just got back on track [we would be OK] and then the trade comes.

“The circumstances around it is life. It’s part of the game. And you’ve just got to keep moving forward.”

The Nets rewarded Johnson with a four-year, $108 million contract in the summer of 2023 after averaging 16.6 points in 25 games. Winning didn’t follow those riches as Brooklyn won 26 games last season and 32 the season before. Making matters more challenging for Johnson was the Nets trading his good friend Bridges across town to the New York Knicks on July 6, 2024, for five first-round picks and forward Bojan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic, who has since retired, never played for the Nets due to injuries.

Through the Nets’ struggles, Johnson never asked for a trade.

“It’s not my M.O. I’m not a ‘grass is greener’ person,” Johnson said. “I’m more a ‘water where you are’ person. When I got traded to Brooklyn, we were a playoff team. I hated the idea of trying to weasel my way out after being on a team and then being traded and going south. So, I was there to stick it out in terms of trying to build culture and an identity and a program. And I just kind of took it day by day.

“When my number was called to get traded I was ready to go. But otherwise, no, I never asked.”

Johnson said while he was at a Steve Nash charity soccer event in Brooklyn the day before the 2025 NBA draft in June, he was expecting to be with the Nets during the 2025-26 season with hopes of roster improvements. The Nets, however, traded him days later to Denver to play alongside three-time NBA MVP center Nikola Jokic. Johnson averaged career-highs of 18.8 points and 3.4 assists in 57 games with Brooklyn last season.

“There was a realization that there was going to be a lot of changes in life,” said Johnson of the trade.

One of the challenges for Johnson is being viewed as the guy replacing the offensively gifted Porter Jr., who was a member of the Nuggets’ starting five during their NBA championship in 2024. Porter Jr. averaged 18.2 points alongside Jokic and star shooting guard Jamal Murray last season.

Johnson, however, refuses to view his addition to Denver as filling Porter Jr.’s shoes.

“I’ve got to be myself and do what I do,” Johnson said. “They give me an opportunity to do that. That’s just on me.”

Johnson didn’t get off to a great start with the Nuggets offensively, while Porter Jr. has become the still-struggling Nets’ top scorer.

In 12 games, Johnson is averaging just 8.2 points per game on 38.9% percent from the field (28.9% from 3-point range). Nuggets head coach David Adelman said after a 122-108 win at Sacramento on Nov. 11 that he was going with whatever lineup down the stretch that works, lineups that oftentimes had not included Johnson. Despite his offensive struggles, however, Johnson kept his starting position.

After scoring five points at Sacramento, a subdued Johnson talked about trying to overcome his early season struggles.

“It’s more than hard. It’s impossible. It’s part of the game. I’ve been playing a long time,” said Johnson, who was selected from the University of North Carolina with the 11th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft by Minnesota and then immediately traded to Phoenix. “But I think sometimes you got to be frustrated because you care.”

Despite a surprising 130-127 home loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday, Johnson was a bright spot. He scored a season-high 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting and five made 3-pointers. Johnson also played a season-high 37 minutes.

Adelman and Murray expressed confidence in Johnson after the loss.

“Everyone has been saying, ‘What is going on with Cam?’ ” Adelman said. “Well, it’s going to happen. Cam is going to make shots. That is the bottom line. That is why we’ve been patient with this. That was really good to see.

“There is always a silver lining in these games in a long season. He was very confident shooting the ball. … Hopefully, this is kind of a launching pad for Cam.”

Said Murray: “I’m not worried about Cam. Making shots is the least of the worries. If it was all the other stuff, there was something to talk about. Whether he makes or misses, that’s a part of the game. We all do that. He had a rough start, but good for him to see the ball go in. But no worries for him.”

Johnson said he has a “much deeper appreciation” as a member of the Nuggets and expects to make a bigger impact as he settles in with his new team. The Nuggets are often viewed as the Western Conference’s biggest challenger to the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and Johnson being the 3-point threat and defensive menace he is capable of being could play a big role in that challenge.

The Bulls’ game was an example of what the Nuggets’ newcomer can bring to Colorado.

“We’ve got guys who have been playing together for a long time, and I’m just trying to earn my space with what is going on,” Johnson said. “Sometimes it takes time. But you can’t let it take you down. We will get there. We will get the level up. I’ll get mine up. We will figure it out.”

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