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The Brooklyn Nets are coming off a 2023-24 season that saw the team finished with a disappointing 32-50 record despite beginning the campaign with a 13-10 record despite some tough circumstances early on. One of the reasons that Brooklyn had qan underwhelming season was because of the declining play from forward Cam Johnson, but Nets fans should still look at his deal in a good light.
“I already view Cam Johnson’s pretty favorably,” Yossi Gozlan of Capsheets.com said during his appearance on the “Bleav In Nets” podcast with Erik Slater of ClutchPoints. Johnson’s contract, four years and $94.5 million, has come attack by many in Brooklyn’s fanbase because of how he played this season combined with the fact that he still couldn’t shake the injury prone label that has followed him since his days with the Phoenix Suns.
“It’s descending for the most part,” Gozlan said of Johnson’s deal, something that a lot of people miss when it comes to evaluating his contract. Johnson did make $25.6 million in 2023-24, but for the next three years of the deal, he will making $23.6 million, $21.5 million, and $23.6 million. Essentially, Johnson will never be more expensive than he was during the first season of the contract.
“Even though he didn’t quite perform as many Nets fans were hoping, I still think that’s a great contract,” Gozlan continued. “To be making low 20s while being a starter, those are pretty good contracts.” It should be noted that Nets fans have a valid reason for being dissatisfied with Johnson as he averaged just 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 39.1% from three-point land.
When he came to the Nets during the 2022-23 season as a result of the Kevin Durant trade, Johnson put up 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 46.8% from the floor and 37.2% from deep. With Johnson making over $20 million again next season, Nets fans will understandably be expecting a bounceback from him, but they should remember that his contract is still considered a good one.
Here’s what @YossiGozlan said when I asked him how he views Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson’s contracts moving forward, assuming Clax signs a similar deal.
Full episode of Bleav in Nets here: https://t.co/Cjaw1AAnIi https://t.co/lITBRK7QP9 pic.twitter.com/X0iQJDUM8j
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) June 22, 2024