Rolling into the 2025 NBA Playoffs with the fifth-most wins in league history and home-court advantage through the NBA Finals, expectations are through the roof for this OKC Thunder team.
And while many are high on the ball club's on-court production and overall potential as we inch toward Game 1 of the postseason, with the odds-makers even tabbing them as the favorite to win it all, perhaps no one has been as bullish of late about Oklahoma City as Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson.
On an April 18 episode of The Young Man and The Three, the 29-year-old sharpshooter was found gushing over just how impressive the ball club proved to be throughout 2024-25, and specifically highlighted the concept that the Thunder had "54 double-digit wins" on the year.
"They've been dominant," Johnson said. "If you spot every team nine points when they play them, they're still [at 54 wins]. That's unreal. That team has been great all season."
Now, not only are these remarks attention-worthy on account of the fact that, per Johnson's calculations, the Thunder would still have a top-four record in the entire league with this hypothetical, but considering the sheer fact that he, in particular, is talking this way about Oklahoma City, it's only bound to reignite trade rumors relating to the veteran this summer.
Cam Johnson's recent Thunder remarks bound to reignite trade rumors
Throughout the months heading into the February 6 deadline, one of the most popular topics of discussion concerning the Thunder was how GM Sam Presti might finally be willing to cash in on some assets from his enviable war chest in order to acquire a win-now type of talent.
Easily the most oft-mentioned potential target among fans and pundits was Cam Johnson.
Considering OKC's tertiary scoring concerns coupled with their desire to shoot more from beyond the arc (went from 34.2 attempts per game in 2023-24 to 38.8 attempts this year), it should come as no surprise that the sixth-year sniper who just had a career-best campaign of 18.3 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the floor and 39.0 percent shooting from deep was pegged as an ideal option.
Ultimately, as we all know, Presti and co. once again opted to play things safe as opposed to splashy and, in the end, passed on executing such a deal.
Still, though things have clearly worked out well for Oklahoma City, this trade dormancy hasn't stopped people from buzzing about just how optimal Johnson's services would be in the blue, orange, and yellow threads.
Cases were quickly made following the deadline's passing for why the forward should now be seen as a top trade target for the organization this coming offseason.
Now, while such chatter died down a bit during the back half of the regular season, with Johnson's recent praise of the Thunder, whether justified or not, one should expect this kind of talk to start picking back up again, especially if OKC experiences an early exit from the playoffs for the second straight year.