Among the many things that the Brooklyn Nets have to consider this offseason, especially with the 2023 NBA Draft two weeks away, is how much they are willing to play to keep restricted free-agent Cam Johnson in Brooklyn. In fact, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report says that the Nets’ most important offseason priority is retaining Johnson.
At this moment, there’s no question about whether the team wants Johnson to come back since head coach Jacque Vaughn and General Manager Sean Marks said as much in their exit interview. The issue with bringing Johnson back to the Nets is how much matching any proposed offer sheets will amount to.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported back in April that Johnson could get a contract in the neighborhood of four years and $90 million. While that kind of deal is reasonable for someone of Johnson’s caliber, along with the fact that Brooklyn is expected to match any “realistic” offer sheet for Johnson, it’s fair to wonder if an offer can be just too much just to keep Johnson.
One factor complicating bringing Johnson back to Brooklyn is Mikal Bridges, Johnson’s “twin”, imploring the Nets to pay Johnson whatever it takes to make sure he stays a Net. However, if a situation arises where a team, maybe the Indiana Pacers, tries to out-bid Brooklyn for Johnson past the realistic threshold, Johnson could be playing elsewhere for the 2023-24 season.
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Story originally appeared on Nets Wire