Retaining restricted free agent Cam Johnson is a priority for the Nets — and Johnson suggests he’s more than open to the idea of staying in Brooklyn.
There are a number of reasons why Johnson’s fit on a Nets team likely re-tooling this summer makes sense. Chief among them: He is a valuable player at his position, one the Nets are grateful to have pried from the Phoenix Suns in the Kevin Durant megadeal at the Feb. 9 NBA Trade Deadline.
Johnson averaged 16.6 points on 37.5% three-point shooting in his 25 regular-season games with the Nets. In four playoff games, he assumed a larger scoring responsibility and managed to increase his efficiency. When the 76ers trapped Mikal Bridges, Johnson became another focal point of Brooklyn’s offense. He averaged 18.5 points through the four-game series against the Sixers and shot at a 43% clip from downtown.
“Cam knows how we feel,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said during his end-of-the-season exit interview with reporters on Sunday. “[Head coach Jacque Vaughn] and I sat with him this morning. We hope he’s back.”
The Nets, however, aren’t the only team with Johnson on their radar.
Since Johnson is a restricted free agent, the Nets reserve the right to match any competing offer for the 6-8 forward’s services. A recent report pegged the Houston Rockets as one of “several” teams expected to express interest in Johnson.
The same report polled six NBA executives, who projected Johnson will garner a contract extension in the ballpark of four years, $90 million. The forward said he isn’t sure yet if he will strike a deal with the Nets first or let the market dictate his value.
“I haven’t fully developed that plan yet,” he said at the HSS Training Facility on Sunday. “One thing I’ve learned this year from this summer onto now is the business will be the business and everybody acts accordingly in that aspect. So in my case, I will do whatever I determine and my family and representatives determine is best for my future — whether that’s being here or somewhere else I can’t fully say.”
The elephant in the room, of course, is Brooklyn’s payroll.
The Nets have already surpassed next season’s salary cap and are expected to have $145M in guaranteed salaries on the payroll, provided they don’t waive Royce O’Neale before his $9.5M salary fully guarantees on July 10. Re-signing Johnson would send Brooklyn’s payroll north of $160M.
If the Nets exceed the salary cap and become a tax-paying team again next season, they will be subject to stiffer tax penalties due to their status as repeat tax offenders. Marks suggested the front office wants to avoid paying the luxury tax this season if they don’t have good odds at meaningfully competing for a championship.
“We’re very fortunate to have Joe and Clara [Tsai] as our owners here, and really partners in this,” Marks said. “They’ve never been short to help out, whether it’s through philanthropy or whether it’s through putting the best team possible on the court and paying for it. So at the right time, Joe has always said, ‘When we’re ready to go back, we’re ready to go back in.’
“Now are we gonna pay tax for just the sake of paying tax? No, that wouldn’t be a smart business decision, right? And I couldn’t sit here and say we should do this or that, but we’ll be strategic about how we get out of the tax, or at the same time — our objective here is to compete. That’s been the objective from Day 1. I don’t think JV is of the cloth of wanting to be mediocre. I certainly am not, either and I don’t think Joe is. So we want to do something special in Brooklyn, and if it costs tax, he’s been willing to pay it.”
Ben Simmons is currently the highest-paid Net, earning over $37M next season and an additional $40M the season after. Bridges is under contract for two more years and earns $21.7M next season. Spencer Dinwiddie is entering the final year of his three-year, $54M deal and is projected to earn just over $20M next season.
Then there’s Joe Harris — on the hook for $19.9M next season — Dorian Finney-Smith ($13.9M), and Nic Claxton, who could earn $9.6M next season if he reaches certain incentives baked into his contract.
Marks made it clear retaining Johnson is a priority.
“High, high character. His IQ is off the charts. That’s exciting to be around. He adds a lot to our group, not just on the court,” he said. “Everybody sees what he delivers on the court, but when you see him in the locker room, it’s certainly refreshing to be around, and hopefully he’s here, but he’s gonna have decisions to make, so at the right time, we will certainly be having those discussions with him and his agent, and we hope that Cam will be back. He’s a big priority for us. There’s no question.”
Johnson, who appeared eager to answer questions about his free agency, seemed warm to the idea of staying in Brooklyn.
“All I can say is that I’ve really come to appreciate the people here and that means a tremendous amount to me,” he said. “I have not made any decisions business-wise yet, but I definitely have factors that I’m considering, and I am warming up to New York, certainly.”
It helps that his best friend is under contract in Brooklyn. Bridges has two more years left on his deal and appears to be a foundational piece for the Nets. Johnson said he’d like to stay teammates with the player he was traded with to Brooklyn.
“Yeah I’d say so. That’s my twin. I haven’t played an NBA game without him literally. He’s been in all of them,” he said. “The guy I came into the league alongside of and someone I’ve grown close to: I value those people in my life, and he is a good teammate to have. He does little things. He plays hard, defends and can help cover up a lot of stuff. So the continued opportunity to play with him, it would be very cool to me.”
()