Ranking the 7 best NBA players who can't be traded until Jan. 15

Cameron Johnson like Herbert Jones was drafted as a four-year college veteran but was selected as the 11th overall pick. He played his first three and a half seasons with the Phoenix Suns and spent the last half of 2023 with the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets getting Johnson on his rookie deal allowed them to give him a contract extension using Early Bird rights. This contract was a little bit bigger than Jones — four years, $94.5 million.

This season, Johnson suffered an injury that kept him sidelined for seven games but has been good his last 12 games. On the season he's averaging 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists, on .458/.391/.833 shooting splits. Over the last 12 games, his numbers have risen to 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3 assists, on .486/.423/.850 shooting splits and the Nets are 7-5 in those games.

Johnson was part of a blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Suns. After the season had finished, re-signing him became a top priority for the Nets. Now that Johnson has a nice contract, he instantly becomes a more favorable trade piece.

There are a few reasons must why the Nets should be willing to trade him. The first is that he's currently the third or fourth option. Mikal Bridges has been playing like an All-Star his last 16 games as well as Cam Thomas coming onto the scene as a great scorer.

Those two players alone put the Nets in playoff contention but a trade for a star player like a Zach LaVine or Pascal Siakam could be in the future for them. Since Johnson is an injury prone player and at times a fourth option, he could be a center piece in that trade.

After many questioned Johnson being selected so high in the draft he has turned into a solid player and silenced those doubters. He is a great scorer and shooter but nothing too special that can put him higher in this ranking.