After over 2 years on a lottery Nets team, Cam Johnson is heading into the 2025/26 campaign as a resident of Mile High City, where he will be repping the jersey of a competitive team. The Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets have awoken championship aspirations in Johnson, who is now looking forward to chasing something meaningful.
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With the Nets, Johnson was a standout performer but wasn’t given the limelight he deserves due of how underwhelming the team as a whole was. Winning just 26 games last season, Cam averaged 18.8 points on 39% shooting beyond the arc. That percentage would’ve been higher if the team was constructed with more offensive weapons to look out for.
In a recent interview, he admitted to being disappointed over not making it to the post-season. “Everybody out there having fun, I feel weak,” he said.
Johnson simply hated not being in the playoffs when the regular season ended, especially when he’s tasted what a Finals feels like back in 2021 with the Suns. With Jokic by his side, his chances are better than ever.
“Playing 82 games, and not making the playoffs is tough,” Johnson continued. “You just getting beaten up. But the playoff teams I’ve been on [Suns], you’re looking forward to what’s ahead. You get a boost.”
The Nuggets got Johnson to Denver by sending a future first-round Draft pick and Michael Porter Jr. over to Brooklyn, in what was seen as a fairly balanced trade. In fact, it could be argued that Denver got a slightly better deal out of it as far as their short-term ambitions are concerned. Jokic and the city of Denver can dream of winning their second championship in four seasons. And Johnson can dream of his first.
“I’m really looking forward to that part about being in Denver,” the 29-year-old added. “It’s the expectations that you guys have, and those championship aspirations that we have as a group.”
The Western Conference is stacked to the brim. There’s a litany of teams who can viably win a title in 2026. Not to forget that last season’s most dominant team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, have virtually an unchanged roster. Where do the Nuggets stand? On a pedestal, according to Johnson, at least.
Denver will be going for the crown, says Johnson
In 2025, the Nuggets nearly got the better of the Thunder. Very few teams pushed OKC as much as Jokic and Co. did, taking their playoff bout to seven games. They just need that something extra to cross that final hurdle, and Johnson believes he could be that missing piece.
Even without him, the Nuggets are elite. And that’s without Jokic winning the MVP. When the Serb is at his best, they’re almost unstoppable. Speaking with fellow new Nugget Tim Hardaway Jr., Johnson said, “Obviously, we have to go in there and establish relationships with these guys because we’re gonna win together, lose together and everything in between. Just try to establish that team camaraderie as soon as possible, be ourselves and compete.”
Jokic will need to be at his best. But with a team that will have some of the most elite role-players in the league, the Nuggets stand a genuine chance at winning the 2026 Finals.
