A new trade proposal could see the Boston Celtics acquire Jamal Murray and Cam Johnson from the Denver Nuggets. The blockbuster package would send All-Star wing Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser to Denver, massively altering the rosters of two championship contenders.
This deal hinges on Brown, who is widely expected to be on the move this offseason. For Boston, swapping Brown for Murray would be a seismic backcourt shift. Murray is a proven playoff riser and an elite shooter, averaging 3.3 threes at a 43.5% clip last season. He offers a different offensive dimension next to Jayson Tatum, providing more ball-handling and elite pull-up shooting. While not the two-way force Brown is, Murray’s offensive firepower could be an upgrade in Joe Mazzulla’s three-point heavy system.
The secondary piece, Cam Johnson, is a low-risk, high-reward target. As a veteran 3-and-D wing, he would slide into Boston’s rotation and could be absorbed using a $27.7M traded player exception. His expiring contract also gives the Celtics maximum flexibility. The Nuggets are reportedly motivated to move him to get under the second luxury tax apron, and interest is high across the league.
According to a league source, “Meanwhile, as the Nuggets navigate getting below the second apron, sharpshooting forward Cam Johnson has drawn trade interest from several teams, including the , Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and Orlando Magic, league sources told HoopsHype,”. The report also highlighted his value. “The 30-year-old forward shot career-highs from the field (.480) and beyond the arc (.430), and is on an expiring $23.06 million contract for the upcoming season.”
But the Celtics aren’t the only team chasing Brown. The Hawks, Nets, Clippers, and Raptors are all reportedly in the mix, putting pressure on Boston to make the best possible offer if they decide to move on from their star.
