Report: Nets open buyout negotiations with Joe Johnson, contenders interested
The Brooklyn Nets have opened buyout negotiations with swingman Joe Johnson, reports ESPN's Marc Stein.
The 34-year-old Johnson is owed $24.8 million this season, and he reportedly told the Nets what it would take to sever ties.
Several playoff teams are already hot on Johnson's tail: The Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Toronto Raptors are vying to win the affections of the seven-time All-Star, Stein notes.
Previous reports suggest Cleveland's in the lead. Johnson holds ties to Cavaliers general manager David Griffin dating back to their time in Phoenix, and they're currently first in the East.
Now in his 15th season, Johnson is posting some of the lowest per-minute numbers of his career. However, his line of 11.8 points. 3.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 37.1 percent shooting still makes him a solid contributor, and he has the size to check three positions.
Johnson's been especially strong over the past three games, putting up 16 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 53.6 percent from the field.
The Nets, however, haven't been strong in the slightest. They sit in the basement of the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-42, and owe their first-round pick to the Celtics.
Johnson needs to be on a team's roster by March 1 in order to be eligible for the playoffs.