NBA trades are often announced with fanfare: Woj (formerly) bombs, Shams breaking news, press releases, and social media buzz. But for Cam Johnson, the moment he learned he’d been traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Brooklyn Nets in the 2022-23 season was anything but official.
It was 1:30 in the morning, and the news came not from a general manager or ESPN alert, but from a flurry of emotional phone calls from his little brother, father, and girlfriend.
“So it happened when I got traded from Phoenix to Brooklyn,” Johnson said during a recent appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast. “It was my little brother that called me, and then my dad, and then my girlfriend at the time was like, ‘Oh my God,’ that’s all she said. And I’m like, huh? Cause I wasn’t on Twitter. I didn’t have Twitter. So it was just like, I didn’t hear about it until they called me and said, ‘You got traded.’ I’m like, are y’all joking? Like it’s 1:30 in the morning”.
“Are y’all joking? It’s 1:30 in the morning.” Cam Johnson found out he was getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets by a phone call from his little brother who saw Woj’s tweet pic.twitter.com/SfIYoo2r7j
— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) July 26, 2025
The trade, which sent Johnson and Mikal Bridges to Brooklyn as part of the blockbuster deal for Kevin Durant, was one of the most seismic moves of the 2022–23 season. But for Johnson, the moment was less about basketball and more about bewilderment. He was asleep, disconnected from the digital world, and suddenly thrust into a new chapter of his career, via a midnight phone call.
Johnson’s recollection highlights the often impersonal nature of NBA transactions. While teams scramble to finalize deals before the deadline, players are left to absorb life-altering news in real time. In Johnson’s case, the Suns’ front office didn’t reach out until 15 to 20 minutes after his family had already broken the news.
Fast forward to 2025, and Johnson’s trade to the Denver Nuggets was handled with far more grace.
“This one I got a heads-up on prior to. And it’s appreciated,” he said. “It’s not like it means the entire world… but it is definitely appreciated”.
Johnson, originally drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves and traded to Phoenix on draft night, spent three and a half seasons with the Suns before the Durant deal sent him east. In Brooklyn, he emerged as a reliable scorer and versatile wing, averaging 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in his final season before being traded to Denver.
Now with the Nuggets, Johnson is embracing a fresh start. This time with a proper heads-up and a sense of agency.
