There's plenty to be excited about with the Utah Jazz. They will have an intimidating starting lineup to go with a future lottery pick and young talent that could blossom into something special. However, hoping something will turn into something impactful can be a fool's errand. It's why if the Jazz have the chance to get a proven veteran who would help them, they should take it.
Someone like Cameron Johnson makes a lot of sense. After the Denver Nuggets just got embarrassed by old friend Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves, they may clean house, and Johnson might be the odd man out. The Jazz don't have a lot of cap room, but they have enough nto absorb someone like him.
Sports Illustrated's Jared Koch proposed the following deal between the Jazz and Nuggets.
Jazz get: Johnson, No. 49 pick in 2026 NBA Draft, 2028 Nuggets second-round pick
Nuggets get: Brice Sensabaugh, John Konchar, Svi Mykhailiuk
Koch explained why the Jazz pull the trigger.
"The Jazz add a second-round pick in this year's draft, get another in 2028, and with Johnson, can fill him in as an experienced, plug-and-play option on the wing who can be extremely potent offensively when firing on all cylinders; a solid package in a tough call to send off a fan-favorite in Sensabaugh," Koch wrote.
Two factors would go into whether Utah would do this
For the record, if Utah were presented this exact deal, yes, they should pull the trigger from a talent perspective. Johnson had an up-and-down season in Denver, sidelined with injuries, as were his Nuggets teammates, but he is a sure thing as a dependable veteran. However, he is also a flight risk
That's why the first factor when executing a deal like this is knowing that Johnson will stay with the Jazz. As long as they get confirmation that he will stick around with the team after his contract expires in 2027, they should pull the trigger.
That plays into the second factor: whether the Jazz feel it's worth keeping Sensabaugh around. He looked better as the season came to its close, but Sensabaugh still struggles with his consistency. The potential is definitely there, but he hasn't beaten the Rodney Hood 2.0 allegations just yet.
If Utah were to say no to this, it would primarily be because they believe Sensabaugh should be part of the future. Something that might deter them from that is that he will either be extended or his restricted free agency the following summer, which plays to the Jazz's advantage.
These two factors go hand in hand because Johnson is currently a better player than Sensabaugh, but there's no telling if it will stay that way going forward. Utah also would have the advantage on Sensabaugh's free agency next season but would not with Johnson.
But this Jazz team is built to win next season. Who they think is better for them would determine if a trade like this is feasible.
Grade: A-
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