Joe Johnson is reportedly going to be bought out and will be pursued by contenders.
The Brooklyn Nets are a rancid dumpster fire of a basketball team, and they are trying to save some cash and let a veteran chase a ring with the buyout of Joe Johnson. While Johnson has not been bought out officially, Marc Stein of ESPN is reporting that it is going to happen. Apparently, there are ample teams interested.
Joe Johnson and the Brooklyn Nets have opened buyout negotiations, ESPN has learned
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 25, 2016
Sources tell ESPN several playoff teams (Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Houston, Miami, OKC and Toronto) are already in pursuit of Joe Johnson
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 25, 2016
The Oklahoma City Thunder would be really interesting. They already have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and Johnson gives the Thunder some serious punch. The Toronto Raptors are also trying to beat out the Cleveland Cavaliers, and landing Johnson would help to provide some punch on the perimeter for either side.
The Houston Rockets make no sense. Houston is not a contender and the combination of both James Harden and Johnson would be a nightmare. Houston would literally be adding salary to be a disaster anyway. The Boston Celtics would be interesting, with head coach Brad Stevens understanding how to run a rotation at an expert level.