Cameron Johnson
For the better part of this season, Cameron Johnson has been one of the most rumored names on the trade block. After two of his veteran teammates, Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, were traded early this year, it almost felt like a foregone conclusion that Johnson would follow in that same path at some point before the deadline. However, that hasn't exactly been how this story has played out over the last few weeks. And, at this point, there's at least an outside chance that Johnson remains on the Nets beyond the trade deadline.
Most of that thinking is due to the high asking price that the Nets have set for Johnson. The early speculation is that the Nets are asking for two first-round picks or the equivalent of that in a potential deal for Johnson. As you would expect, there is some natural hesitation across the league to meet that asking price. It will be interesting to see if that's how things continue to shape in the final couple of weeks before the NBA Trade Deadline. And, remember, it only takes one team willing to go all in for a deal to get done. I'd imagine there will be an aggressive team that makes a strong offer.
Prediction: Indiana Pacers
If I did have to make a prediction, I'd suggest a team like the Indiana Pacers electing to go all-in for Johnson ahead of the trade deadline. Johnson could be viewed as a valuable addition for the Pacers as they look to continue to surge up the Eastern Conference standings during the second half of the season. Indiana has managed to shake off their relatively disappointing start to the year but there's reason to believe that this team will still need a boost heading into the final stretch run if they're going to emerge once again as a dark horse contender in the conference.
Considering that this team has already made the decision to pivot in a win-now manner, it wouldn't make much sense for this team not to continue down that path. Making a bold move for Johnson could be exactly what the Pacers need to legitimize themselves as a potential dark horse contender down the stretch. Heading into the postseason, Indiana is going to need every weapon they can get if they want to make another (surprising) deep run.