The latest Nets rumors claim the team would be a fit for Tyler Johnson.
According to sources, the Nets rumors that are currently circulating place them in the running for someone they’ve chased after in the not-so-distant past.
Per The Athletic, the Brooklyn Nets will be in the hunt for free agent Tyler Johnson, and provide the best fit for him.
Of course, they once pursued the 28-year-old vociferously when he was with Miami, and the monstrous offer sheet Miami matched has, in many ways, led to Johnson’s nomadic career. He’s been an albatross ever since.
https://twitter.com/OrunyChoi/status/1093248158258348033?s=20
Johnson appeared in 31 games for the Phoenix Suns this past season, and was waived slightly after the February trade deadline.
Though his 2019-20 campaign was feckless, featuring just three starts, Johnson averaged over 10.5 points per game in each of the previous three seasons.
Per the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets are also involved in the chase for Johnson’s services.
The Houston Rockets have reportedly shown interest in Tyler Johnson, per Houston Chronicle pic.twitter.com/miBhKlxRYZ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 19, 2020
Makes total sense, right? Johnson’s always been the type of player who’s pursued about 1.5 times more than he should be.
Regardless of the history that Brooklyn has with Johnson and the bullet they dodged by being matched by Miami back in the day, there’s a fit for another scoring guard in the rotation for the remainder of this season in the Orlando bubble. Kyrie Irving’s not walking through that door, after all.
Brooklyn can include 17 players in their bubble roster, and there’s little harm in importing Johnson’s offense, especially in the short term. Locking him down on an expensive deal a la Allen Crabbe is entirely different then a short-term pact in a last-ditch attempt to shore up this very off 2019-20 roster. There’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal after all, especially when you’re simply trying to patch things up before entering isolation.
2020 is weird. Embrace it by bringing back the one who (luckily) got away.