Denver Nuggets X-Factor For The 2025-26 Season - Cameron Johnson

In an effort to remain championship contenders, the Denver Nuggets made what some consider to be a questionable move when they sent Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson. While both players averaged 18.8 points last season, Porter grabbed three more rebounds per game, something that the Nuggets will likely miss this year. However, the front office believes that Johnson is a significant upgrade at the small forward position, particularly given Porter’s injury history over recent seasons.

Coming off a career year statistically, Johnson posted 18.8 points while shooting 47.5% from the field and 39% from three-point territory, and he also chipped in with a career-high 3.4 assists per game. Unlike Porter Jr., who provided the Nuggets with a great catch-and-shoot threat, Johnson can not only hit the spot-up shot but also create his own shot and facilitate for others, adding another element to Denver’s offense. This versatility should help take pressure off Jamal Murray during the regular season grind, allowing him to find more consistency.

Playing alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Johnson’s capability to play with and without the ball should fit in perfectly with the Nuggets’ style of ball movement offensively. Johnson’s improved playmaking means that defenses can’t just zone in on Denver’s two star players, forcing them to account for multiple scoring threats.

What makes Johnson an X-factor is his two-way potential. Just 29 years old, with a decade of NBA experience under his belt, Johnson can guard multiple positions while spacing the floor for Jokic to orchestrate the Nuggets’ offense. His playoff experience and defensive versatility could be exactly what Denver needs to return to the top of the Western Conference standings and make another championship run.

The factor that makes Johnson the Nuggets’ true X-factor is his availability and durability. In his six NBA seasons, Johnson has only once played 66 games. If Johnson can stay healthy throughout the 82-game schedule and into the playoffs, while maintaining his efficient shooting and improved playmaking, the Nuggets will have come away as winners of their offseason trade. For a team that has seen its championship window narrow slightly, Johnson is a high-risk, high-reward player who could define the Nuggets’ season.