It's uncertain if Armon Johnson will return to the Nets next season. They have until June 30 to give him a qualifying offer. They might. If they do, he'll probably play for the Nets in the Orlando Summer League nine days later. No matter what happens, he'll be grateful to the Nets.

"It was tough. It hurt," he says of being cut by the Blazers in late February. "I wasn't crying or anything like that, but it was just so unexpected, I had to understand that this is a business and it's nothing personal. It was tough, though."

By early April, he was back in the NBA with the Nets and grateful for the opportunity. "To learn under Deron Williams and getting the chance to start a couple of times in the second half was a blessing," Johnson said.

• Armon Johnson was shocked Blazers let him go, but revitalized career in New Jersey - Chris Haynes - Comcast Sports Net Northwest.