Holiday wish list for every NBA team

Jun 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) fights for a loose ball with Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the third quarter in game five of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Dec 8, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) drives past Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Johnson (7) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Brooklyn Nets

To be in the place that the Brooklyn Nets right now is not a good thing. Despite shedding a little salary the Nets are still in salary cap hell this season. The cap hit for the Nets is $83.4 million. That is $13.4 million over the NBA’s cap, with a $1.28 million luxury tax hit. What the Nets need to wish for is relief.

Thankfully, they have Joe Johnson’s ginormous contract coming off the books. The future is somewhat mixed for the Nets.

The good news is that once Johnson’s deal is gone, Brooklyn will have some available cap space. Brooklyn is a solid destination for free agents in terms of location and ownership. Then there are the downsides.

As previously noted, the Boston Celtics own the rights to Brooklyn’s first round selection in the 2016 draft. With few players on the roster that has any sort of upside, this team has to get younger. Acquiring a draft pick and a player or two for Johnson would help accomplish three things – getting a draft pick back, getting a player who can help in the future and lowering, even eliminating the luxury tax penalty. The Brooklyn Nets have to do something, even if it costs them a shot at an eighth seed in the East.

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