NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Joe Johnson
1. New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans need to start from scratch and build a true contender around Anthony Davis. The Brooklyn Nets would like to get any sort of decent return for Joe Johnson’s expiring contract. Both teams would accomplish their goals with a deal like this.
For the Pelicans, they’re closer to the worst record in the West (four games) than they are to the eighth playoff seed (4.5), and at this point it’d be best for the front office to start building around Davis for the future. Tanking and enjoying adding another top-five pick to the mix seems like the best way to go right now, and everyone on the roster other than the Brow should be expendable.
The Pellies don’t have to completely blow it up, but Eric Gordon is an expiring $15.5 million contract and it didn’t take long for Omer Asik‘s incomprehensible five-year, $60 million extension to look like the complete blunder it was at the time of the signing.
According to NBA.com, the Davis-Asik frontcourt has been outscored by 3.5 points per 100 possessions, while also depriving the Brow of developing at center, a position where New Orleans would like him to grow to his fullest potential as the shot-blocking anchor of the defense.
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Alexis Ajinca is a serviceable backup on a much more acceptable contract who could replace Asik, and the Nets are one of the few teams who might not mind having Asik on their roster, especially if they opt to move Brook Lopez for whatever draft compensation they can get their hands on.
In short, the Pelicans aren’t going anywhere this season, so trading Gordon makes sense since NOLA will avoid re-signing him. Asik’s extension was a major mistake, so getting rid of him makes sense as well. If they can bring in more disposable cap space like Johnson AND get a nice young wing defender in RHJ, they should definitely do so.
As for the Nets, Asik would provide a replacement in the event Brooklyn lines up a Lopez trade to acquire future draft picks. Gordon would provide a direct replacement for Joe Johnson, and if the Nets didn’t want to keep him around in free agency, they could simply let him go since he’s an expiring contract.
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Like most of these deals, however, it’s unlikely this Joe Johnson swap will come to fruition. The Pelicans may stubbornly cling to distant playoff hopes for too long, while the Nets might prefer to just let Johnson’s contract expire rather than let Hollis-Jefferson or Chris McCullough slip through their fingers.