Report: Former Nets GM turned down Stephenson-Johnson trade proposal

Say what you will about former Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King and the job he did while in power, but never undervalue his ability to stick to his guns when it comes to alterations to the roster, whether they worked or blew up in his face.

King had multiple voices in his ear while working as the GM, the most notable being team owner Mikhail Prokhorov and Dmitry Razumov, the chairman of the board of directors. The Russian authority figures made constant suggestions concerning personnel, although King ultimately had the final say.

One strategy he was presented was sending veteran guard Joe Johnson to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the disgruntled Lance Stephenson and pieces, multiple sources confirmed to Nets Daily.

Razumov loved the idea of bringing Stephenson aboard. However, King didn't see much value in the 25-year-old, and decided not to go ahead with a proposal.

There were reportedly no arguments or confrontations between the two parties concerning their disagreement, as it was merely a case of management and ownership not seeing eye-to-eye on a trade, which often happens in the league.

Johnson was inevitably waived by Brooklyn after the trade deadline in a buyout agreement. He then latched on to the Miami Heat after clearing waivers to finish off the 2015-16 campaign, and has since joined the Utah Jazz on a two-year, $22-million contract.

With the experiment in Charlotte not working, Stephenson was moved to the Los Angeles Clippers last summer, then traded again to the Memphis Grizzlies in February. He averaged 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds on 47.4 percent shooting over 26 appearances.

King was relieved of his duties as general manager in January and reassigned within the front office, following a 10-27 start by the Nets. Sean Marks took over in his stead a month later after working for the San Antonio Spurs.