The Denver Nuggets matched the offer sheet the Oklahoma City Thunder offered to Spencer Jones. As a result, the Nuggets are the only second apron team in the NBA. Surprisingly, there could be implications for the Grizzlies, especially with their trade exception from the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. The Grizzlies now could have a potentially logical use for the trade exception with Cam Johnson.
Understandably, yesterday's news has led to some buzz about Peyton Watson being a potential target in a sign-and-trade. I recently talked about exploring a Peyton Watson deal given the fact he's 24 and coming off a career year. It would be a very intriguing upside swing and another option at small forward that's locked in for multiple seasons.
While getting someone like Peyton Watson would be exciting, a Cam Johnson deal could still end up being very logical in the Grizzlies' case. Now, that's not to discount the idea of acquiring Peyton Watson, but it's certainly worth discussing another alternative path the Grizzlies could take with their TPE.
Denver should definitely consider shedding salary
Denver had acquired Cam Johnson as a part of the deal to send Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn. While the main intent of that deal for Denver was to create more flexibility, it was definitely a downgrade in talent. But still, Cam Johnson could end up being a beneficial target for the Grizzlies in plenty of ways.
Michael Scotto recently said a few days ago that teams have inquired about Cam Johnson, but "those inquiries have been rebuffed." Now that Denver matched Spencer Jones' deal and they need more flexibility if they want to bring back Peyton Watson, could their thinking change?
If it does, the Grizzlies should absolutely explore trading for Cam Johnson. The Grizzlies still have their full $28.5 million TPE from the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade intact. Johnson is also owed $23.05 million for the remaining year of his contract.
Cam Johnson can still contribute for the Grizzlies
Since player salaries can't be aggregated in any Johnson trade now that Denver is in the second apron, the Grizzlies are in a unique position to acquire Johnson with their TPE. Plus, depending on how desperate Denver is to retain Peyton Watson, it can't fully be ruled out that the Grizzlies take back some light draft capital in the process.
Cam Johnson might not bring star-level production, but he is still a quality supporting piece on offense. Johnson is coming off a season where he averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while also making 43% of his threes. At 30 years old, Johnson still has plenty in the tank and could still help a Grizzlies team trying to speed up their rebuild.
The Grizzlies have access to their TPE until the trade deadline in 2027, but now could be a logical time to use it on Cam Johnson. The upside swing on Peyton Watson is incredibly tempting for the Grizzlies, but if Denver is desperate to shed salary, a Cam Johnson deal is also one worth exploring.
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