OKLAHOMA CITY — The Nets are winless without Cam Johnson and are about to face the NBA’s winningest team. What could go wrong?
They travel to face the Western Conference-leading Thunder on Sunday, and Johnson’s status is very much up in the air.
The forward — linked in various trade rumors — has missed the past two games, and seven of the past eight, with a sprained right ankle that has him listed as questionable against Oklahoma City.
The Nets are 0-9 when Johnson hasn’t played, outscored by an aggregate 173 points. But they’re not about to risk their best shooter — and most prized asset — by rushing him out on the court before he’s ready. Or more than ready.
“It’s too early [to know] right now,” coach Jordi Fernandez said about Johnson’s availability for Sunday. “He’s doing a great job with trying to get healthy and working every day and being around with the group.
“And that’s what we value the most, is his energy, his voice right now. And he still was doing his job [every] morning, and right now there’s no reason why we should make a decision, right? We want all our guys to be 100 percent healthy, to come back, and whenever the time comes, we will make a decision.”
The Nets have a number of important decisions to make regarding Johnson.
The white-hot Thunder weren’t just the next foe on the schedule — their 34-7 mark tied for the most wins in the league coming into the weekend — but have been linked with Johnson as a potential trade suitor.
The Nets, in the midst of an aggressive rebuild, predictably have been the team moving the trade market. Since Dec. 15, they’ve made multiple deals involving seven players and seven second-round picks.
Brooklyn has executed the only deals involving players making more than $10 million. They’ve been involved in the four highest salaries swapped so far — Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder out, De’Anthony Melton and D’Angelo Russell in. Russell’s $18.7 million salary is the highest.
Johnson would top that — if they move him. But that’s no fait accompli.
Enjoying a mid-career breakthrough, Johnson is averaging 19.6 points on 49.6/42.8/89.7 shooting splits, approaching the 50/40/90 benchmark reached by just nine players in NBA history. He’s the most coveted player on the trade market right now, quite possibly the only difference-maker available to a contender.
“Obviously, Cam is extremely important for us,” Fernandez said. “Not just that he catches and shoots, but also his movement and also he can play up the dribble and make the right play.”
Johnson is also important as an asset. But unlike Schroder and Finney-Smith, he’s a chip they don’t have to cash in.
Sources have said the Nets would be loath to move him for less than two first-round picks or the equivalent thereof. He’s been linked with a number of suitors, including Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Indiana and Sacramento.
But now The Stein Line is reporting the Thunder may not be in the running.
“One team we’re scratching off the list of Cam Johnson suitors: Oklahoma City,” the Stein Line reported, adding, “We’ve found no credible evidence of Johnson-to-OKC talks … even though such chatter continues to make the rounds. The Thunder, like the Cavaliers, don’t want to do anything to disrupt a roster that resides firmly atop its conference.”
With the trade deadline approaching on Feb. 6, there’s plenty of posturing going on. But the fact is Johnson’s de-escalating contract was designed to be team friendly, just 13 percent of the cap the next two seasons. At just 28, he’s young enough that the Nets could easily keep him past the deadline and deal him in the offseason. Or not at all.
The Stein Line reported the Kings are perceived to have the best chance to land Johnson if the Nets opt to pull the trigger, with a package of a first-rounder, Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles the offer to beat. Either way, even if Johnson plays Sunday at the Thunder it won’t be for the sake of being in the shop window.
