In a surprise, Keon Johnson won’t be a member of the Nets this coming season.
The team requested waivers on one of last year’s most productive players.
Days before training camp, they became even less experienced.
The 23-year-old Johnson was a major piece of the Nets last season, starting 56 games and averaging 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Only Jalen Wilson logged more minutes and the 6-foot-5 Johnson led the Nets in total games played (79).
Johnson, it should be noted, was dealing with an unspecified injury, which played a part in the move, noti.group’s Brian Lewis reported
Minutes also will be harder to come by in the backcourt, after the Nets used three of their five first-round picks on guards, selecting Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf.
Before the release of Johnson, the Nets were at 19 standard contracts. A team can only have 15 at the start of the season.
A former star at Tennessee, Johnson was taken with the 21st pick in the 2021 draft by the Knicks and dealt to the Clippers for Quentin Grimes. He also played for the Trail Blazers before joining the Nets for the 2023-24 season.
Johnson was a bright spot last winter in a difficult season — the Nets won just 26 games, their fewest since the 2016-17 season — averaging a career high in points and rebounds.
He became a favorite of first-year head coach Jordi Fernández, a quality defender with a strong motor. But with the Nets loading up in the draft, there was less of an opportunity.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
