Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson arrived in Brooklyn collectively, so-called Twins as a result of they’d been so shut in Phoenix.
Now that Bridges was traded away final week, will Johnson be subsequent?
“Clearly we failed in our mission this yr — point-blank, interval, no method round that,” Johnson stated after the Nets’ first non-playoff season since 2017-18. “However like I stated, man, that’s all a part of the method.
Generally you win, generally you lose. You’ve simply received to get higher and give attention to what we are able to do going ahead.
“And that’s the place my head’s at proper now: How we are able to elevate the group. How we might be higher on the court docket, off the court docket and get again on monitor to the place we expect we must be?”
The query is: The place will Johnson be?
The Nets raised the white flag on title rivalry anytime quickly, signaling their full-on rebuild by sending Bridges throughout the East River to the rival Knicks.
Their mission to tank has seen veterans like Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith placed on the buying and selling block, and each have already garnered at the very least some degree of curiosity.
The Put up had reported on curiosity in Johnson from the Cavaliers, and Hoopshype has cited at the very least some ranges of curiosity from the Kings, Raptors, Pacers and Magic as properly.
Brooklyn has reportedly been in touch with the Lakers too, in line with The Athletic.
However regardless of claims the Nets have been serious about a reunion with level guard D’Angelo Russell, sources informed The Put up that’s not anticipated to occur.
So with shooting-starved LA having missed out on course Klay Thompson, may Johnson be subsequent on the checklist?
Not one of the curiosity is especially stunning.
Johnson, who was again in Arizona on Monday night time attending the WNBA Phoenix Mercury’s loss to the Connecticut Solar, has the profile NBA groups are on the lookout for.
In what was considered as a down yr, Johnson averaged 13.4 factors and 4.3 rebounds in 58 video games, slogging via a litany of accidents (calf, leg, shoulder, ankle, adductor and toe).
He nonetheless managed to shoot 44.6 p.c total and 39.1 from 3-point vary, only one share level off his strong profession common.
“It’s a part of all of it,” Johnson stated. “It’s a part of it. No one ever says something might be handed to you, something might be straightforward, adversity gained’t come up. So it’s a part of it. You’ve simply received to take it, carry on pushing, preserve working, and give attention to tomorrow, give attention to what we are able to do as we speak.”
That long-range contact, his age (nonetheless simply 28) and measurement (6-foot-8) mix to make Johnson a invaluable commodity.
Although Johnson’s common of two.4 made 3-pointers this previous season was a dip from his career-best 2.9 in 2022-23, there have been nonetheless simply 10 gamers at the very least 6-7 in all the league who averaged extra.
Although Johnson has three years and $68.8 million left on his contract, it de-escalates after subsequent season to change into a team-friendly deal.
His $21.5 million wage in 2025-26 is simply 13.91 p.c of the all of a sudden spiking wage cap, greater than manageable for any workforce buying and selling for him.
Finney-Smith has drawn exploratory curiosity from the 76ers in line with Hoopshype, however nothing is taken into account imminent there.
After Jacob Gilyard was on a two-way deal this previous season with Brooklyn, the Nets didn’t lengthen him a qualifying supply.
However a supply informed The Put up the 25-year-old will go to Las Vegas with the Nets, play level guard for his or her summer time league workforce and the perimeters will go from there.
