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In a roundtable discussion, four ESPN writers discuss where Joe Johnson will play next year with two of them suggesting he could be bought out later this year.
Nobody thinks he will be with the Nets for very long, with the possibilities of a new home ranging from Memphis and Cleveland who pursued him with different levels of interest this summer, to New Orleans and even Golden State.
Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst both raised the possibility of a buyout after the February 18 trade deadline if the Nets can't move him and his $24.9 million salary.
Said Stein...
"[T]he more interesting question might be: Will Johnson finish this season in Brooklyn? There are some folks around the league who wonder if the Nets would consent to buying out Johnson after the Feb. 18 trade deadline if they can't move him. The Nets would naturally dismiss any such suggestions, given that they have no other choice but to try to win as many games as they can before sending their unprotected 2016 top pick to Boston. But they also frequently insisted that they wouldn't buy out Deron Williams before ultimately doing so."
Johnson recently switched agents, becoming a client of Jeff Schwartz who engineered the departure of Jason Kidd as well as Deron Williams.
Said WIndhorst...
"[W]here's he going to be playing at the end of this season? He's a buyout candidate in late February to me. He has made more than $170 million in his career. So I see him signing with the best team who wants him and maybe looking to the West for whatever they can pay him. As a role player, shooter off the bench and/or floor-stretcher who has hit clutch shots, Johnson would be the type of veteran for which contenders would compete."
The group also talks about just how good Kristaps Porzingis can be.