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NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Joe Johnson

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 4, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Johnson (7) advances the ball during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Johnson (7) advances the ball during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 8, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Johnson (7) defends Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Houston Rockets

Let’s face facts for just a second: the Houston Rockets aren’t going anywhere this season, and Dwight Howard is heading for a massive payday soon. Even if Howard declines his $23.3 million player option for the 2016-17 season, he’ll most likely be looking for a similar salary in free agency, only with the added issue of extra years being on his contract.

James Harden and Dwight Howard made for a tantalizing combo, but with Howard turning 30 years old, the Rockets might think about retooling for the future to put another championship-caliber roster around the Beard.

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Adding Joe Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson doesn’t do that, but freeing up about $22 million in salary — plus whatever long-term contract it’d take to re-sign Howard — might be a preferable route.

To be fair, this would be a hasty move for general manager Daryl Morey to make…but hasn’t he already proven to be a hasty decision maker with the Ty Lawson trade and the early firing of head coach Kevin McHale? This might not be the best deal Morey could get for D-12, but it’s worth examining.

Johnson would serve little purpose in Houston as a player, but his salary comes off the books this summer, which would provide the Rockets with additional cap room. It’d also supply a potential future stud in Hollis-Jefferson, who would lend his versatility and prowess on the defensive end to a team that badly needs it.

If RHJ can ever develop a reliable jumper, he might wind up being one of the best players from the 2015 NBA Draft class. Adding Hollis-Jefferson, a future Nets draft pick and shedding all that salary is a fairly good return for a center whose game relies on his diminishing athleticism.

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    • If Hollis-Jefferson is off limits, the Rockets might ask for the injured Chris McCullough, a promising youngster who may not play in his rookie season as he recovers from an ACL tear. That’s not a ringing endorsement, but McCullough is a 20-year-old who might have been a lottery pick if not for his injury.

    As for the Nets, they’d get a bonafide superstar to build around in Howard. Even if he’s already 30 years old, D-12 would easily become the face of the franchise, and he’d also make Brook Lopez expendable through another trade that could bring in more young prospects/draft picks to aid the rebuild.

    Trading Hollis-Jefferson and a future draft pick might seem contradictory to that goal, but he probably doesn’t possess star potential, and the draft pick would be in the distant future since the Nets would be in danger of violating the Ted Stepien Rule otherwise.

    With such a depressing situation for the next few years, the Nets need a popular name to feel good about. Dwight Howard’s best days are behind him, but he’s still an excellent two-way player and would help brighten a dismal situation, thereby making Brooklyn a more attractive option for prospective free agents.

    This trade is unlikely to ever happen, but it’s not as bat-shit crazy as it sounds, especially since the Nets would be able to throw as much money as possible at Howard even if he opted out of his contract this summer.

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