While the OKC Thunder are looking to keep their championship core together this offseason, the rest of the league is simply trying to catch up.
On the first day of NBA free agency, it appears the Denver Nuggets may have made some significant strides toward achieving this ultimate goal.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Denver has agreed to trade Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for forward Cameron Johnson.
Nuggets snatch dream trade target away from OKC Thunder
Over the last several years, Johnson was a popular trade target among Thunder fans, largely due to his elite outside shooting abilities. Oklahoma City struggled to hit catch-and-shoot jumpers during their title run, and Johnson has knocked down at least 39.0 percent of his triples in each of his past four seasons.
Of course, the veteran isn’t merely just a one-dimensional player.
He can score off the dribble, make semi-advanced passing reads, and hold his own defensively. His overall game is extremely scalable, making him a highly sought-after piece for every contender.
If the Nuggets had been able to capitalize on Nikola Jokic’s passing and gravity during their second-round bout against OKC this past postseason, they very well may have gone on to win not just the series, but the 2025 NBA Finals.
To put it bluntly, Johnson is a mammoth on-court addition for Denver.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets also immediately save $17,275,985 in 2026 salary. They currently sit roughly $17 million below the first apron, which gives them full access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1 million).
That’s enough flexibility to snag one or two playoff-viable veterans, and Charania just reported a one-year deal between Bruce Brown and the Nuggets.
Depending on how much his 2026 salary turns out to be, the Nuggets may be able to add a sharpshooter like Luke Kennard or a backup center like Al Horford.
Whichever direction Denver takes from here, they should be able to clean up their depth issues and field a strong supplementary unit around Jokic.
Now, losing an unprotected first that will come during Jokic’s age-36 season definitely stings, but the franchise needed to capitalize on his prime years. He’s playing like one of the all-time greats, and players of his caliber rarely come around.
Sitting on their hands would have been a basketball crime.
Between the Nuggets adding Johnson and Brown, Dallas signing D'Angelo Russell, and Houston acquiring both Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela, the Western Conference projects to be much tougher next season.
Because of this, it will be exceedingly difficult for Oklahoma City to be the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Kevin Durant-led Warriors.
Don’t expect any splashy moves from Sam Presti in retaliation. OKC barely sits below the luxury tax, and avoiding this penalty is an important goal for the organization in order to delay the repeater tax.
Plus, above all else, there’s simply no room on the roster, as the Thunder already have 15 players committed and ready to defend their title.