The Nets are shedding their old identity, one move at a time.
Days after signing point guard Jeremy Lin, the Nets again moved to bolster their backcourt, this time, with a four-year, $50 million offer sheet to Heat guard Tyler Johnson, according to a report in Yahoo! Sports, which cited league sources.
Johnson, 24, won’t be able to sign until the end of the NBA moratorium on July 7. After that, the Heat will have three days to match the offer.
The restricted free agent went undrafted in 2014 before kicking around in the developmental league and eventually joining the Heat’s youth movement. Though the offer shows what the NBA thinks of Johnson’s potential, he only has 68 NBA games and seven starts under his belt.
He averaged 8.7 points last year in an injury-shortened season, with a 48.6 field goal percentage. The Nets offer likely precludes the Heat from pursuing Johnson for cap reasons. According to Yahoo, he’ll be slated to make $5.6 million the first year, $5.8 million the second, and then jump to $18.8 million and $19.6 million in the final two years. Even with this contract, the Nets still will have about $20 million remaining in cap space.
Dwyane Wade congratulated Johnson on Twitter, writing: “Any kid that wants to be an NBA player & you don’t think you have a chance. Look no further then @RealTJohnson Congrts kid you earned it!”
..... - Newsday