Report: Nets intent on keeping Johnson with reported Williams buyout
Tap here to view theScore's NBA Offseason Tracker, which includes the latest transactions and rumors.
With one albatross of a contract out of the way, Joe Johnson's doesn't look so bad for the Brooklyn Nets.
In the wake of the reported buyout and stretch of Deron Williams, the team is intent on now keeping Johnson, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
Don't forget that, with no lottery pick to play for in 2016, it behooves them competitively to keep Joe J if D-Will buyout solves tax issues
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 10, 2015
Johnson, 34, is owed $24.8 million in the final year of his deal next season - downright economical compared to the $43 million over two years that was hanging around the Nets' neck with Williams still in uniform. Johnson's production is also slightly more palatable in relation to the value and length of the contract.
Big Shot Joe averaged 14.4 points in 80 games for the Nets this past season, shooting just under 36 percent from deep.
There had been rumored discussions of a potential deal to move Johnson to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it was too complicated given both team's salary-cap scenarios. That idea also pretty much went out the window when the Cavs added a shooter in Mo Williams.