9:36am: The deal is official, the Nets announced in a press release.
8:03am: The Nets have reached an agreement on a multiyear contract with power forward Alize Johnson, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Johnson’s agent, George Langberg, confirmed the deal, which could be worth up to $4.1MM. Johnson could have received more guaranteed money from another team, but he was comfortable in Brooklyn, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).
Johnson, 24, signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Nets, the second of which expired overnight. He has appeared in six games, averaging 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per night. Coach Steve Nash told reporters earlier this week that the Nets were happy with Johnson’s production and hoped to keep him around.
Brooklyn was able to sign Johnson for up to three years because the team still had part of its taxpayer mid-level exception available, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link).
A second-round pick in 2018, Johnson played his first two seasons with the Pacers and was in training camp this year with the Raptors.
I was mistaken in some of my previous comments about how a contract would work for him using the T-MLE, but the value of the overall contract appears to be what’s left in the prorated T-MLE. It actually would be a portion of the T-MLE this year. Multi-year contracts under the T-MLE allow 5% raises for each year regardless of future caps or exceptions.
I think it’s a good move to lock him up for a few years. He could build himself up the same way Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris did.
This gm has found many diamonds in the rough. They won’t miss those picks they gave up if he can find talent through the G league
Bruce Brown and Alize are both great pick ups (I know Brown has been with them but I’m counting him anyway) for Brooklyn and further proof that the no name minimum guys can be just as – if not more – valuable than the big name buyout guys
I’d throw Claxton in that mix as well.
I agree. Over the last few years, I’d argue that the Nets (and Raptors) have been better than pretty much anyone at finding young talent, and neither of them have had high picks to work with.
I don’t know if it’s scouting, player development, or some combination of both, but they’ve both been really good at building around their core with cheap talent.
Nine of their players were either picked in the second round (Jordan, Harris, Dinwiddie, Brown, Claxton, Perry, A. Johnson) or undrafted (T. Johnson, Chiozza). Jordan had been a star before he came to the Nets, but the rest was great scouting by Marks and his staff.
It also shows that development is an ongoing thing. When will so called informed fans stop crushing 19-22 yr olds. If you are a true athlete and baller. Every yr you are getting better. Franchises lose players in the numbers gm they all deal with every yr. The G-league is suppose to help with that. Well run Teams never stop looking for talent or developing talent. Just look at MLB. They have levels of development in their minor leagues. It’s why I can never accept giving up on a 19-24 yr old. Giving up on talent means you give up on your self. You are not doing your best, your job.
Good for Alize …. keep pushing bro.
Why wouldn’t he be comfortable in BK??? They have one of the 3 best odds to win the chip.