Nuggets Acquire Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. and Unprotected 1st Round Pick
The swap of forwards, which occurred shortly after the NBA free-agency period opened, sends Johnson back to the Western Conference, where he helped Phoenix reach the 2021 NBA Finals, two years before Porter helped the Nuggets win the title.
Johnson averaged a career-high 18.8 points in 57 games last season. The Nets acquired him in the deal that sent Kevin Durant to the Suns at the 2023 trade deadline, and there was speculation throughout the season that Johnson could be dealt to a contender by a rebuilding Nets' team.
The Nets had already traded away Mikal Bridges, Johnson's close friend who came with him in the Durant deal, to the Knicks last summer, in a trade that netted them five first-round picks.
Now, they get another one, along with Porter, who averaged 18.2 points in 77 games, all starts, last season. But he injured his shoulder in a scramble for a loose ball in the first round of the playoffs and struggled with his shot in Denver's seven-game series loss to eventual champion Oklahoma City in the Western Conference semifinals.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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