Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said Brooklyn is preparing for everything as Cam Johnson enters restricted free agency.
Johnson is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 15.5 points per game on 47/40/84 shooting splits for the Phoenix Suns and Nets. He was Brooklyn's top playoff performer during a first-round sweep against the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 18.5 points on 50.9 percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from three (7.0 attempts per game).
After turning down a four-year contract from Phoenix worth as high as $72 million, Johnson's gamble will soon pay off, with league executives projecting a deal as high as four years, $90 million. The Nets will have the right to match any offer made to the 6-foot-8 sharpshooter.
Marks is no stranger to the restricted free-agent game. He signed Allen Crabbe to a four-year, $75 million offer sheet in 2016, which the Portland Trail Blazers matched. He then inked Tyler Johnson to a four-year, $50 million offer sheet, which the Miami Heat also matched. Will karma come back to bite Brooklyn?
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Marks said of Johnson's free agency Thursday. “I don’t know. I think it’s one of those things that maybe we should expect the unexpected. Things happen all the time in this. We’ll be prepared for that.”
Sean Marks on Cam Johnson's free agency:
“I don’t have a crystal ball. I don’t know. I think it’s one of those things that maybe we should expect the unexpected. Things happen all the time in this. We’ll be prepared for that. Cam knows how we feel about him. we hope he's a Net." pic.twitter.com/hFsRy8XVRG
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) June 23, 2023
The Houston Rockets are the team most frequently connected to the 27-year-old forward. The Detroit Pistons are also expected to be in the mix after Johnson's former head coach, Monty Williams, signed a record-breaking deal in the Motor City. However, during his exit interview, Johnson indicated a desire to make Brooklyn his long-term home, speaking glowingly about the organization from the front office down to the chefs.
“Cam knows how we feel about him. We hope he’s a Net and so we’ll just have to sort of play it all out,” Marks said. “I think we’ve got a nice young group and he can see how this group has a chance to do something special here and do something special in Brooklyn.”
The Nets have the advantage of having Johnson's “Twin,” Mikal Bridges, under contract for the next three seasons. Bridges has made it known how he wants Brooklyn to handle Johnson's impending negotiations:
Mikal Bridges with a message to the Nets ahead of Cam Johnson’s free agency. pic.twitter.com/h9AmWLvrqv
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) May 25, 2023
Johnson spoke about his experience of being traded to the Nets during a June 20 appearance on the Australian “Ball Magnets” podcast. His comments about finding a place to live in Brooklyn could indicate his free-agent plans.
“I found this apartment. I had it for a certain short-term lease, and at the conclusion of free agency, I’d reevaluate and explore neighborhoods and figure out which area of Brooklyn I’d like to live in,” Johnson said. “Because there’s a lot of cool little neighborhoods, cool little pockets. That should be a fun experience.”
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