Ever since the Timberwolves made short work of the Nuggets in the playoffs and president Josh Kroenke said that everyone except Nikola Jokic could be on the table in trade talks, many Raptors fans have dreamt of a Jamal Murray homecoming. Murray could jump-start the Raptors’ struggling offense, but it would take a lot to get the Nuggets to move on from their championship point guard.
Moreover, another Nuggets player is much more likely to hit the trade market, according to recent intel from NBA insider Jake Fischer.
“The Denver Nuggets, by various accounts, are very much still looking at ways to clear salary to pay restricted free agent Payton Watson somewhere in the ballpark of $30 million,” Fischer said on a Bleacher Report livestream on June 16. “That’s going to require them to trade a veteran starter on this roster. Cam Johnson probably is going to be the easiest Jenga block to pull from Denver’s tower, given that he’s on an expiring contract, he played well this season.”
Cam Johnson may not be Jamal Murray, but he could still be worth some consideration for the Raptors. He would allow the Raptors to add 3-point shooting and veteran experience without straying from their love for big forwards and wings. Johnson stands at 6’8”, can hold his own on defense in most matchups, and shoots almost 40% on 3-pointers for his seven seasons in the NBA. Rumors around the Raptors’ potential interest to get Johnson from the Nets already circulated last offseason.
Cam Johnson is an excellent 3-point shooter, and the Raptors need more of those
The Raptors are known to be in the market for a center upgrade and have been linked to Mitchell Robinson and Domantas Sabonis. They would also greatly benefit from a star point guard to pair with Scottie Barnes. Johnson solves neither of those problems, but the Raptors are so thin on 3-point shooting that they cannot ignore rumblings about one of the most efficient 3-point shooters in the NBA potentially becoming available.
Johnson shot 43% on 4.7 attempts per game in the 2025-26 season. The only player in the league to match or exceed his volume and shoot a better percentage was Jamal Murray, who shot 43.5% on 7.5 attempts per game, although many other players shot 40% or better on as many or more attempts than Johnson.
The only regular rotation player for the Raptors to shoot at least 40% from three was Ja’Kobe Walter, who sank 40.9% of his 3.7 attempts per game. Having a 3-point shooter like Johnson in the rotation wouldn’t solve all of the Raptors’ issues, but it would improve their spacing significantly.
But there are a few obstacles and problems with this. If Johnson is actually available, many teams will call about him. Depending on the asking price, pursuing Johnson could also jeopardize the Raptors’ ability to trade for a center or guard. Moreover, Johnson is on an expiring contract, so he could be just a short-term rental, and the Raptors would have to figure out how to navigate their already tight finances. After all, if the Nuggets would primarily look to trade Johnson to free up money to re-sign Payton Watson, they won’t want to take one of the Raptors’ expensive players back in return.
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