All quiet on the Nets’ commerce entrance.
May they really keep that approach?
Cam Johnson has had his title continually linked in rumors for the reason that Nets shipped out veterans Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith.
However with the commerce deadline quick approaching at 3 p.m. on Thursday — and sources telling The Put up that Brooklyn shouldn’t be buying Johnson — it appears an increasing number of doubtless that no crew provides sufficient to get the Nets to alter their minds.
League sources have constantly informed The Put up that the Nets — who had been clearly extremely motivated to deal away Schroder and Finney-Smith, since each had been 30-somethings set to hit unrestricted free company — haven’t been buying Johnson.
They’ve solely taken calls on him, and apparently none are convincing them to maneuver the sweet-shooting wing.
So does Johnson go to Brooklyn basic supervisor Sean Marks on the incessant studies? Or let his brokers deal with that whereas he retains his concentrate on the courtroom?
“Yeah, the latter extra so,” Johnson informed The Put up. “If I felt the necessity to go converse to him about one thing, or I catch wind of one thing that I need to deliver as much as him, then I’ll.”
To date, there hasn’t been a lot of a necessity.
In numerous studies, Johnson has been linked to Golden State, Indiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma Metropolis and the Lakers.
However he’s nonetheless in Brooklyn, and Marks is seemingly greater than content material to face pat.
“He has a job to do. I’ve a job to do. And that’s what I’m targeted on proper now,” Johnson informed The Put up. “And proper now, my job is to play for this crew and to contribute to this crew and to attempt to do all these issues.
“And his job is to handle the group. So I’m not [worried]. If there’s one thing that I have to know, then I belief he’ll inform me, my agent will inform me. And [I’m] going from there.”
Johnson, who missed Tuesday’s recreation in opposition to the Rockets with a sprained ankle, is within the midst of a mid-career breakthrough.
The ahead is at present averaging 19.4 factors on 49.1/41.9/89.8 capturing splits. His true capturing proportion is as much as 65.8 this season.
In 10 December video games, Johnson poured in 22 factors on 48.9 p.c capturing, together with a white-hot 44.0 p.c from 3-point vary. And he’s doing that on a de-escalating team-friendly contract that makes him straightforward to maintain previous Thursday.
“[The Nets] should not buying [their] gamers, so there isn’t an asking worth,” one supply informed The Put up.
Johnson is below crew management for the subsequent two years on a deal that counts simply 13 p.c of the wage cap every of these seasons. The Nets by no means spoke with Golden State about Johnson, in accordance with sources, and with the Lakers and Kings having made large strikes on the wings, two potential suitors are off the board. Brooklyn may deliver extra groups into the bidding course of within the offseason.
There’s a very loud phase of the Brooklyn fandom that desires to see Johnson moved exactly as a result of he’s good.
The tanking Nets are 17-33 after their beautiful 99-97 win over the Rockets on Tuesday regardless of Johnson not taking part in and are sixth within the lottery odds.
Johnson contributes to wins.
Proper now, the Nets’ odds of touchdown the coveted prime general choose — and Duke superfrosh Cooper Flagg — are 9 p.c. By far their most probably touchdown spots as of Tuesday had been seventh (at 28.5 p.c) and eighth (20.0 p.c).
However the analytics don’t assist the hysteria. Johnson’s career-best win share mark is 5.6 again in 2021-22, and it’s 3.3 now.
The Nets will attain the two-thirds mark of the season subsequent week, which means realistically, even when Johnson has comparable well being and manufacturing the remainder of the way in which, he would elevate their win whole by one or two victories.
Briefly, if the Nets transfer him, it received’t be about tanking however getting a giant return.
And chances are high it’ll have to come back to them.