4) NBA Trades: The Spurs add sharpshooter Cam Johnson in potential deal with the Nets.
If the Spurs don't want to go star shopping, they can set their sights a little bit lower and target Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson. Johnson is the best shooter available on the market, and he would make for an excellent fit in San Antonio given their need for shooting.
Unfortunately for the Spurs, he has also drawn the attention of several other teams that also need shooting, but the Spurs have plenty of assets to throw at the Nets to try and get a deal done. One potential trade could see the Spurs ship out Keldon Johnson, the Charlotte Hornets 2025 potential first-round pick, and two second-round picks.
At 6'8, Johnson has good size, and his shooting touch would make him a deadly fit playing next to Paul and Wembanyama. Having him, Champagne, Vassell, Paul, and Barnes would give Antonio enough shooting to surround their best player and finally have a rotation that makes sense.
Although moving on from Keldon Johnson would be tough considering that he is the longest-tenured player with six seasons in San Antonio. But he simply doesn't fit the Spurs' second unit, especially with Castle and Jones also playing alongside him. In fact, since Castle has moved to the bench, he has shot worse from the field, and that is partly due to the second unit's lack of spacing.
Replacing him with Cam Johnson would give interim coach Mitch Johnson more to work with and give him more lineup versatility. The Spurs could trot out lineups that feature Paul, Vassell, and some combination of three big forwards in Sochan, Barnes, and Johnson, along with Wembanyama.
Barnes and Johnson would give the Spurs plenty of shooting, with them both having enough size to keep from being picked on defensively. Or, he could go with Sochan and Barnes, giving them balance when it comes to offense and defense.
Johnson also has shooting versatility with him being able to knock down spot-up threes and the ability to score off of screens and use direct handoffs to get open. That could be a potent combination when playing alongside Wembanyama, with him already drawing opposing centers away from the rim. Adding Cam Johnson to the mix would add even more spacing with defenders sticking close to him to prevent him from burning them from outside.
The Spurs have good shooters in Vassell and Champagnie, being the closest to being high-volume wings, but Johnson's career 3-point shooting numbers easily eclipse both players. As a result, it is easy to see why he continues to be a hot name on the trade market. While the Spurs have yet to be directly linked to Johnson, given their roster needs, he seems like the ideal trade target for them.
A bidding war could raise his value, but after Dorian Finney-Smith went for three second-round picks, a decent first and a rotation player might be enough to get the Nets to deal him to San Antonio. If that were to happen, then he could help the Spurs offense big time.