Cam Johnson has been an important part of the Phoenix Suns winning culture the last two seasons. He did not have a reason to think the team will move him this offseason before the news about Kevin Durant’s trade request broke.
Johnson has been part of two very successful seasons in Phoenix, with the Suns reaching the NBA Finals in 2021 and then posting the league’s best record this year. However, this season had a bittersweet ending with a 33-point loss to Dallas.
The sharpshooting forward is eligible for a contract extension this season, and he admitted he wants to stay in Phoenix for the long term during an interview with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
“There’s a business side of it which you open your eyes to and then there’s the personal side of it which you have to open your eyes to. There’s always a balance between the two. Definitely as the summer goes on, and we can call a spade a spade.
All these trade rumors going around. That’s the business side of it and you have to expect a team to do what’s in their best interests and you have to expect individual people, in turn, to do what’s in their best interests, but the bottom line is I’ve really loved my time here and if we can get something done, I’d be very happy about it.”
Johnson averaged 12.5 points on 46/42/86 shooting splits along with 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists through 66 games. If a trade for Durant do not materialize, then the Suns will likely receive an extension either before the season start or the next offseason.
