Cameron Johnson eligible for rookie extension in offseason
The Phoenix Suns laid an egg in Sunday’s Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks and that’s putting it nicely. After having the most wins in the NBA this season and coming off an NBA Finals appearance, it was a disappointing end for the Suns, exiting in the quarterfinals after a blowout loss to Dallas at home.
Phoenix fell behind by as much as 40 in Sunday’s loss and now a very interesting offseason is ahead. The Suns do have a championship-caliber roster as of now but that all could change pending a few moves.
The biggest one? DeAndre Ayton who is seeking a max extension after talks broke down last offseason. But there’s another player who is eligible for a rookie extension.
Former UNC forward Cameron Johnson is eligible for a rookie extension and is coming off the best season of his career. Johnson averaged 12.5 points while shooting 42.5% from the three-point line in 26.2 minutes per game.
He finished third in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award and as ESPN’s Bobby Marks writes, Johnson is a priority for the Suns:
With Jae Crowder now entering the last year of this contract, Johnson is a priority. But is Phoenix willing to pay starter money for a player who finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting?
In 16 games as a starter, Johnson averaged 16.3 points, 49% from the field and 42% on 3-pointers. He would go on to average 17.3 points, shooting 50% from the field and 44% on 3-pointers, in games in which he played at least 30 minutes.
The Suns want to keep Johnson in Phoenix and if they have those championship aspirations, they need to figure out this offseason and have Johnson become a player that improves even more in the coming months.
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