Knicks rival could inadvertently do them a massive favor at trade deadline

Just don't let him go to Indiana or Cleveland.

New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Sean Marks
New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Sean Marks | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks aren't wrapped up in trade rumors before the deadline for the first time in a few years. Jimmy Butler could be on the move, but it won't be to New York. Zach LaVine could also be traded after his resurgence in the first half of 2024-25, but not to the Knicks.

New York could sit pat at the deadline, or the front office could make a trade, but it wouldn't come close to the deals the Knicks made over the offseason. They're limited financially and no longer have the assets to make a significant splash, but they could still find a way to upgrade the bench.

The most entertainment New York fans will get at the deadline will come from other teams. Butler and LaVine are the top two names to watch, but there's also been a lot of interest in Nets forward Cam Johnson. He's averaging a career-high 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, shooting 49.1% from the field and 41.9% from three.

Brooklyn traded Mikal Bridges over the summer. The Nets traded Dennis Schroder to the Warriors in mid-December and sent Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Lakers a couple of weeks later. Johnson could be the next domino to fall, but there's an increasing belief he could stay in New York past the deadline.

Nets could keep Cam Johnson past the Feb. 6 trade deadline

Brooklyn isn't willing to part with Johnson for a cheap price. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported on Dec. 31 that the "belief around the league" is it'll take more than a first-round pick for the Nets to trade the forward.

The Thunder, Kings, Cavaliers, Pacers, and Grizzlies expressed interest in trading for Johnson. It doesn't take a genius to figure out which two teams on that list the Knicks don't want to see the forward traded to.

Cleveland is already a threat to New York as the top team in the East, and acquiring Johnson would give the hot-shooting Cavaliers another weapon. Indiana got off to a shaky start at the beginning of the season but has climbed up the conference ladder to No. 5.

The good news for New York is that on Thursday, Scotto reaffirmed that the Nets "highly value" Johnson. Brooklyn isn't in a rush to trade the forward. It wouldn't be surprising if he was still on the Nets' roster past the deadline. He's making $22.5 million this season, and will make $20.5 million in 2025-26 and $22.5 million in 2026-27. Keeping his salary on the books won't hurt a rebuilding Brooklyn squad.

The Nets aren't in a rush to trade Johnson if a team isn't willing to meet their high price tag before the deadline. Keeping him in Brooklyn (at least for the remainder of the season) would help New York. If he is traded, hopefully, it's to a team in the West, not to Ohio or Indiana.

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