This Cam Johnson trade wouldn't solve a Pistons' problem, but it would create one

Most of the focus of this offseason for the Pistons is how they are going to add scoring and shooting to complement Cade Cunningham.

It’s a tune we’ve been hearing for the last five years, as the Pistons have failed to get Cunningham a second in command and are still one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league. 

The Nuggets are a team to watch this summer, as they may need to shed players to be able to re-sign restricted free agent Peyton Watson, which could make guys like Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun available for trade. 

Johnson could certainly be a fit on the Pistons for the right price, as he is an elite shooter, but if the Pistons are giving up their only elite shooter to get him, then what is the point? 

The Pistons need to keep Duncan Robinson, or use him in the right trade 

A recent trade proposal from Hoops Habit had the Pistons sending out both Duncan Robinson and Marcus Sasser for Cameron Johnson from the Nuggets, which doesn’t solve any of their problems, but creates a new one. 

The Pistons can’t trade Robinson unless they are doing it for an upgrade, and I am not sure Johnson qualifies. Both he and Robinson averaged the same number of points last season and shot a similar percentage from long range. 

There is no point in just swapping out one shooter for another, as the Pistons would still be left with the same problem as well as a new one. 

Cameron Johnson can’t stay healthy 

There is a reason why Johnson has been moved around even though he’s an elite shooter with size, and it’s because he can’t stay on the floor. 

Johnson played just 54 games last season, which is pretty normal for him, as he has only played over 60 games once in his career, back in 2021-22. Since then, he’s played 42, 58, 57 and 54 games.  

Meanwhile, Robinson has played at least 72 games in all but three years of his career, and one of those was his rookie season and in one other he played 68 games. He’s an Iron Man by comparison, and even though Robinson has faults, trading his reliability for Johnson’s complete unreliability would be a downgrade not worth the payoff. 

Johnson could be an option for the Pistons, but they can’t trade Duncan Robinson to get him, as they’d just be swapping one issue for a different one and taking on a player who isn’t reliably on the floor, which is something Trajan Langdon has avoided thus far in his career as team president of the Pistons. 

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