With a mismatched wing-heavy roster and a second straight first-round sweep, the Nets have a number of things to work on this summer.
Re-signing Cam Johnson is right at the top of their to-do list, although the restricted free agent has been coy about his future.
“Cam knows how we feel,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said. “[Jacque Vaughn] and I sat with him this morning. We hope he’s back. He’s a tremendous and a huge — tremendous person, on and off the court. 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.
“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 going to 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.”
The only question is just how much money the Nets — who can match any offers for Johnson — are willing to put behind that hope.
Johnson rejected a four-year, $72 million extension from Phoenix before coming to Brooklyn with Mikal Bridges in the Kevin Durant deal.
At the time an agent told The Post he might command four years and $80 million.
The price has only gone up since, with some estimates now a deal matching Bridges’ four-year, $90 million pact.
Johnson averaged 13.9 points in Phoenix, but has bumped that to 16.6 for the Nets.
He upped that to 18.5 in the first-round series.
The new collective bargaining agreement allows teams to start talking to their own free agents the day after the NBA Finals end.
Asked if he expects to get a deal done then or let the restricted free-agent market decide his contract, Johnson was noncommittal.
“I have to do some evaluation on that front,” Johnson said. “I haven’t fully developed that plan yet. One thing I’ve learned this year from this summer to now is the business will be the business, and everybody acts accordingly in that aspect.
“So in my case, I’ll do whatever I and my family and representatives determine is best for my future. Whether that’s being here or somewhere else I can’t say. All I can say is I’ve really come to appreciate the people here and that means a tremendous amount to me. But I haven’t made any decisions business-wise yet. But I definitely have factors I’m considering and I am warming up to New York certainly.”
Houston is expected to be a suitor for Johnson.
Asked if having Bridges in Brooklyn would impact his free agency, Johnson said it would.
“Yeah I’d say so. That’s my twin. I haven’t played an NBA game without him, literally,” Johnson said. “The guy I came into the league alongside of and somebody I’ve grown close to. I value those people in my life and he’s a good teammate. … So the continued opportunity to play with him is going to be very important.”