The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly pursuing a buyout of Joe Johnson, with a number of contenders pursuing him. What teams provide the best fit?
The Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets have combined to make Joe Johnson one of the wealthiest players in NBA history. In the final season of a six-year contract worth nearly $124 million, Johnson’s $24,894,863 salary has become one of the hottest topics of conversation in the NBA.
According to Marc Stein of ESPN, Johnson and the Nets have commenced negotiations on a potential buyout.
Joe Johnson and the Brooklyn Nets have opened buyout negotiations, ESPN has learned
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 25, 2016
Per Stein, a number of contending teams are already in pursuit of Johnson’s services.
Sources tell ESPN several playoff teams (Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Houston, Miami, OKC and Toronto) are already in pursuit of Joe Johnson
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 25, 2016
It’s not hard to see why so many contenders are intrigued by what Johnson can bring to their respective rotations.
Johnson, 34, is a seven-time All-Star with 87 games of postseason experience. He has a career average of 17.3 points in the playoffs, and has made five trips out of the first round, albeit with no appearances beyond the Conference Semifinals.
He’s not the player that he used to be, but during the 2015 NBA Playoffs, Johnson averaged 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game—inefficient numbers, but still intriguing enough marks to acknowledge.
Thus far in 2015-16, Johnson is averaging 11.8 points, 4.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 3-point field goals on a slash line of .406/.371/.852. He’s done so on a Nets team that lost its starting point guard, Jarrett Jack, and has trusted the likes of Shane Larkin and Donald Sloan to facilitate.
The question is, where would Johnson best fit amongst the contending options?
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