Could Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder end up in the San Francisco Bay Area ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline? According to a recent report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Golden State Warriors have opened “exploratory conversations” surrounding the veteran Nets trio.
The Nets entered this season with an 18.5-win projection and were expected to be sellers after trading former star forward Mikal Bridges to the Knicks last summer. However, thanks in part to the production of Johnson, Finney-Smith and Schröder, the team has gotten off to a 10-14 start under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez and was the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference entering Tuesday’s games.
Tankathon’s projected 2025 NBA Draft order has the Nets picking at No. 15 (own), No. 17 (via Bucks), No. 23 (via Knicks) and No. 25 (via Rockets) if the season were to end today. They defeated the Warriors 128-120 at Chase Center on Nov. 25 on a night where Schröder finished with a game-high 31 points.
Golden State, sitting at fifth place in the Western Conference with a 14-9 record entering Tuesday’s games, is looking to maximize Stephen Curry’s championship window. Last week, it was reported that the team was looking for another star player to pair with Curry. It tried to acquire both Paul George and Lauri Markkanen during the offseason after Klay Thompson signed with the Dallas Mavericks in free agency but struck out on both potential moves.
While Johnson, Finney-Smith and Schröder are not necessarily All-Star level players at this stage in their careers, they are battle-tested veterans — some in the midst of career years — who can add quality depth to a contending team such as Golden State. Whether the Warriors attempt to trade for all three or not, they are reportedly open to using injured guard De’Anthony Melton’s $12.8 million expiring contract as a bargaining chip in a potential deal.
If the rebuilding Nets were to trade their veterans, they would likely be seeking younger players who fit their timeline, additional draft assets, and salary relief to maximize their flexibility in terms of roster construction.
Johnson, 28, has averaged a career-best 18.8 points per game this season while shooting 48.8% from the field and 43.4% from 3-point range. He is making $23.6 million this season and his contract drops to $21.6 million next season, before going back up to $23.6 million in 2026-27.
Finney-Smith, 31, has missed eight games this season because of injury, but has averaged a career-best 10.6 points per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 43.2% from deep in 16 appearances, also a career-best. He is playing on a $14.9 million deal season and commands a player option for $15.4 million for next season.
Schröder, 31, has averaged a career-high 18.6 points and 6.5 assists on 45/39/89 shooting splits. He is one of seven players averaging 18-plus points and six-plus assists on over 44% shooting from the field and 38% from three. Curry, Nikola Jokic, Jalen Brunson, Darius Garland, Domantas Sabonis and Cade Cunningham are the others. He is currently playing on an expiring deal worth just over $13 million.
All three veterans have expressed their desire to remain in Brooklyn long-term.
Ben Simmons, Bojan Bogdanović, Ziaire Williams, Cam Thomas, Da’Ron Sharpe, Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead and Jalen Wilson are also trade eligible. Shake Milton, Keon Johnson and Trendon Watford will become trade eligible on Dec. 15, although Watford has veto power. Nic Claxton will be trade eligible on Jan. 15.
The Nets are currently $3.3 million below the league’s luxury tax and $5.2 million below the first apron. They are expected to have an NBA-high $60 million-plus in salary cap space next summer.
