The Suns and Cameron Johnson talked contract extension before the season and Phoenix offered what had been the going rate for a rotation two-way wing: four years, $72 million contract ($18 million a year average).
Johnson turned it down and bet on himself — and that bet will pay off, reports Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Johnson was traded to the Nets as part of the Kevin Durant deal and he has proven a good fit in Brooklyn, upping his value.
A four-year, $80-85 million contract with a player option on the last season seems about right, although Johnson and his CAA camp may push for more. He is averaging 15.1 points per game, shooting 40.3% from 3, grabs 4.1 rebounds a game and is a much-needed plus defender on the wing.
The Nets’ are loaded with valuable wings and have some roster decisions to make this summer. In addition to Johnson, Mikal Bridges has stepped up his game in a larger role with the Nets, plus they have Dorian Finney-Smith, Joe Harris, Royce O’Neale, and if you’re feeling generous Ben Simmons is in that group (Yuta Watanabe can be as well). Look for GM Sean Marks to trade some of them looking for a point guard and depth at center.
Lewis’ last point in the Post about the salary cap is something to watch this offseason. With the new television deal kicking in a couple of years down the line — a new set of contracts that could see a doubling of NBA television revenues — the salary cap is expected to go up quickly (even with some cap smoothing this time around). That will have teams willing to give out contracts like this to Johnson, knowing that even as his salary rises over the course of the contract the percentage of the salary cap he takes up will drop. Contracts like this, which may seem huge up front, will become more valuable toward the end.
Which is a good thing for Johnson and his pocketbook.
