Like most trade seasons over the last several campaigns, all eyes once again seem to be on the OKC Thunder as predictions over what they could plan on doing start to run rampant.
Equipped with an enviable amount of promising young prospects, a treasure trove of draft assets, and a championship mentality, Oklahoma City is widely viewed as the "it" team that could spice things up in virtually any conceivable way before February's deadline.
Though GM Sam Presti has gone on record in the past to suggest he and his staff are somewhat trepidatious about the idea of making in-season moves, based on the league's rumor mill it appears this front office may be changing their tone on such scenarios.
For months now, Oklahoma City has repeatedly been rumored to have an interest in pursuing Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter, Cam Johnson.
Widely considered the prized target among many contending clubs in need of perimeter shooting, the 28-year-old is amid a career-best campaign with averages of 19.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while cashing home on 43.6 percent of his attempts from distance.
In many ways, Johnson is considered the ideal trade option for the Thunder.
Unfortunately, many other organizations share this same belief regarding his fit within their schemes, and there are three teams, in particular, that could be serious threats to OKC's chances of attaining the forward's services.
Teams that could ruin chances of Thunder trading for Cameron Johnson
Memphis Grizzlies
Already this season, Brooklyn was reported to have had extensive conversations about a possible deal to help Memphis improve their power forward position via trade.
Unfortunately for them, the player they were invested in was Dorian Finney-Smith, who was ultimately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for D'Angelo Russell.
Though this turnout was far from favorable for the Grizzlies, it does still leave them without a desired upgrade at the wing spot, and, oddly enough, could help them prioritize a pursuit for Cameron Johnson who, in many ways, could be a more fitting option for them.
Memphis is a team that loves to hoist up shots from beyond the arc, as they rank 10 in attempts per game and 11 in conversion rate through 36 games played. On top of this, though they may have All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. manning the four, outside of him they don't have any natural power forward option to take up replacement minutes (current option Santi Aldama is more of a five).
Considering the fact that they were willing to offer a first-round pick for the more limited DFS, it's interesting to think about what they may be open to offering in a Johnson pitch.
Indiana Pacers
The newest team to enter the running for Cameron Johnson are the Pacers.
According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, Indiana could potentially make a push for the Nets forward this trade season after having shown some interest in his services during last year's campaign.
The ball club is amid a rather underwhelming first half of the 2024-25 season after making it to the Eastern Conference Finals a season ago and is presumed to be eager to add a jolt of energy to their arsenal.
Johnson would fit brilliantly into their efficient perimeter shooting offense (rank seventh in percentage at 37.4 percent) and could be a huge beneficiary of franchise point guard Tyrese Haliburton's elite set-up skills.
On the flip side, while the Pacers may not have the draft capital that the Thunder do, they hold all of their rights to picks in five of the next six drafts and have intriguing youngsters like Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and this past June's eighth overall selection Jarace Walker to include in a deal.
For the tanking Nets, such assets would be welcomed with open arms if they were to offload Johnson.
Sacramento Kings
At 17-19, the Sacramento Kings are looking to get back to a place of relevancy and could be eager to make a move in order to do so.
Adding a player like Cameron Johnson could provide them with an upgrade in offensive firepower while allowing them to run a more properly constructed rotation.
For the Nets, they may be more incentivized to make a deal with this desperate Sacramento squad over any other interested team because the Kings could realistically fall on the outside looking in on a playoff berth or succumb to an early-round exit this season (as they did last year) which could lead to an all-out teardown come the conclusion of the campaign.
Should Brooklyn work their way into a 2027 first-round pick in a Cam Johnson exchange, it could wind up equating to some serious worth, especially if the recent De'Aaron Fox rumblings carry weight to them.