It cost the Denver Nuggets a first-round pick, but turning Michael Porter Jr. into Cam Johnson was one of the wizardry moves the front office pulled off this offseason. They might be able to pull off another regarding Johnson, as he's eligible to sign an extension.
On "The Zach Lowe Show," Lowe speculated whether the Nuggets could get Johnson to sign for a number around $25 million annually, given the other salaries that will be on their books in the 2027-28 season (Jokić, Murray, and Gordon). Lowe said that it'd be "a lot to commit" by adding a fourth salary to the books, but that Johnson is "an interesting player and that's an interesting number."
Sam Amick, who joined Lowe on the podcast, said that Denver may want to see Johnson play first before committing to him beyond the 2026-27 season, when his current contract runs out. He made a good point that the Nuggets were as motivated to trade MPJ as they were because of his contract, so it might not be the wisest decision to turn around and do the same for Cam so soon.
However, Amick did say that if Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace are still riding the high of that trade, they may want to "firm up those relationships" and lock Johnson down to a long-term deal.
Nuggets could get Cam Johnson to sign an extension below his value
It's hard to disagree with Amick's argument that the Nuggets should hold off before extending Johnson, but if they did get him to sign a deal worth $25 million annually, it wouldn't be the end of the world. He made $24.4 million in the first year of his current contract and $23 million last season. Johnson will make $21 million this season and $23 million in the 2026-27 season.
Depending on how his first season in Denver goes, Johnson's value could shoot up. Then the Nuggets would be in a challenging position, with Cam entering the final season of his contract, and Denver already having the aforementioned salaries on its books beginning in the 2027-28 season.
There is a reason why people like Tenzer and Wallace get paid money to make these kinds of decisions. There are pros and cons for the Nuggets to extend Johnson now at a lower number, but ultimately, he must also agree to it.
Regardless of whether he signs an extension before he suits up for Denver or not, the trade was still a win for the organization.