Several NBA teams attempted to use Denver’s salary-cap situation to extract additional draft compensation in trade discussions involving Cam Johnson, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
Durando reported that rival teams approached the Nuggets with proposals that would have required Denver to attach draft picks to Johnson, believing the franchise was under pressure to avoid the second apron.
The offers were not necessarily based on Johnson being viewed as a negative-value contract. The 30-year-old forward shot 43% from three-point range last season, ranking eighth in the NBA in three-point percentage.
Denver ultimately rejected those proposals rather than sacrificing draft capital to move Johnson. The Nuggets also received at least one legitimate offer for the veteran wing, but according to a league source, they declined that proposal as well because they viewed Johnson as an impactful starter.
Johnson averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 54 games during the 2025-26 regular season. He started all 54 games he played and shot 48.0% from the field and 43.0% from three-point range in 30.5 minutes per game.
His value became particularly evident during Denver’s playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Johnson was the Nuggets’ third-leading scorer in the series, averaging 14.2 points while shooting 50% from the field.
Denver finished the regular season 54-28, earning the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, but Minnesota eliminated the Nuggets in the first round. Nikola Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists during the regular season, while Jamal Murray contributed 25.4 points and 7.1 assists per game.
Johnson is entering the final season of a four-year, $94.5 million contract and is scheduled to earn $23 million in 2026-27. That salary, combined with Denver’s broader cap constraints, created an opening for rival teams to test whether the Nuggets would attach assets to facilitate a move.
Instead, Denver held onto Johnson and later traded Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade as part of a five-team transaction. The Nuggets received a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick in that deal.
Watson’s departure came after a seven-week restricted free-agent stalemate and reflected Denver’s difficult financial decisions. The Nuggets had previously committed five years and $125 million to Christian Braun, while Jokic’s salary also remains a major factor in their cap structure.
Denver’s offseason has therefore required difficult roster decisions, but the front office did not view Johnson as a player it needed to pay to move. His starting role, 43% three-point shooting and strong finish against Minnesota gave the Nuggets enough reason to retain him despite the $23 million salary entering the final year of his contract.
