Cam Johnson more concerned about playoffs than free agency, at least for now

Of the four players the Nets acquired at the trade deadline, two are under contract through 2026 — Mikal Bridges at an average salary of around $23 million and Dorian Finney-Smith at around $14 million. Spencer Dinwiddie’s contract runs through the end next season when he’ll make nearly $19 million without incentives. But Cam Johnson, who’s been putting up some nice numbers since being acquired from Phoenizx, is a free agent this summer, one the Nets presumably want to re-sign. It will be expensive however. Johnson, 27, turned down an offer of $72 million over four from the Suns last summer.

Brian Lewis asked him if it’s been hard to keep his focus on games when his contract is up in a few months.

“Yeah, it’s actually not too hard,” Johnson told The Post. “You’ve got to think why you’re doing it in the first place. And then you’ve got to think what you’re doing it for, and it’s because at the end of the day, I love to compete and play this game.

“I’ve said this — because this was a topic of discussion when I didn’t sign the extension — and I tried to tell them that I’m still under contract at this moment. I still had that year. I still have the rest of this year. And my goal right now is to win games and make a playoff push.”

Lewis notes that an executive from another NBA team told him that the $18 million per year is the 6’8” forward’s floor this summer.

Johnson will be a restricted free agent this summer which means the Nets can match any offer he receives elsewhere. So Brooklyn and Sean Marks can go one of two routes: either lock him up before another team bids for him, as they did with Nic Claxton last summer, or wait till another team makes his market. (Marks knows all about that process: Between July 2016 and July 2017, he delivered lucrative offer sheets to four free agents — Tyler Johnson, Allen Crabbe, Otto Porter Jr. and Dontae Motiejunas. All four were matched by their reams although Johnson and Crabbe ultimately wound up with the Nets.)

For Johnson, that’s about the business of basketball and he’s got other things on his mind currently.

“I’ll let the future take care of itself. I’m not going to sit here and think on it too hard or worry about it too much. I’m really just living in the present, enjoying it,” Johnson told Lewis. “There’s so much I’ve got to think about getting acclimated to a new city. This time of the year is serious basketball and that’s enough for all of us, for any of us, to keep us plenty occupied.”

Johnson is one of three Nets players on expiring deals. The other two, both unrestricted free agents this summer, are Seth Curry and Yuta Watanabe. Edmond Sumner has a a team option on his two-year non-guaranteed deal at the vets minimum while Royce O’Neale’s $9.2 million contract next year is partially guaranteed at $2.5 million. Nerlens Noel is currently on a 10-day.

• Nets to face Bucks without Nic Claxton, Cam Johnson and Spencer Dinwiddie - Brian Lewis - New York Post