The New York Post’s Brian Lewis reported on X on Wednesday that the Brooklyn Nets gave up Keon Johnson. The move comes months after the Nets won his $2.34 million team option for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Keon Johnson guarantees 2025-26 years of money
Johnson’s $2.34 million salary is guaranteed only at $271,614. If he joins the team’s opening lineup, it would be a guarantee of $760,520.
Johnson appeared with Brooklyn last season with 79 games (56 games), with an average career high of 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 24.4 minutes per game.
But the 6-foot-5 guard is expected to have less time this season after limiting free agent Cam Thomas to sign his eligibility offer, while the Nets have selected various rookies in the first round of this year’s draft.
By giving up Johnson, the Nets now have 21 players on the training camp roster. 15 more players in Brooklyn signed guarantee contracts.
Nets get Kobe Buffkin from the Hawks
Additionally, Brooklyn acquired shooting guard Kobe Bufkin from the Atlanta Hawks this week. According to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto, the Nets reportedly sent $110,000 in cash to the Hawks.
Bufkin plans to earn $5.4 million this season and has a $6.9 million team option in SpotRac for 2026-27. This is part of a four-year rookie-scale contract he signed with Atlanta in July 2023.
Brooklyn must make a decision on Bufkin’s team choice by October 31.
The Hawks selected Bufkin in the 2023 NBA Draft and drafted with the 15th overall pick. Bufkin, 22, has only played 27 games against Atlanta in the past two seasons Sunday.
Johnson enters fifth NBA season
Johnson, 23, was selected as No. 21 by the New York Knicks at the University of Tennessee’s 2021 draft and was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
He only played 15 games with the Clippers during the February 2022 trade deadline.
In September 2023, Portland traded Johnson to the Phoenix Sun, part of a three-team deal involving Damian Lillard. However, the sun gave up on him in late October.
Johnson then joined two contracts in November. After five appearances in 2023-24, Brooklyn reached a standard NBA contract with him for a two-year standard, which reached an agreement in July 2024.
In 161 professional regular season (68 games), Johnson averaged 8.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 19.2 minutes per game while shooting 37.9% from the field and 32.4% from the field.
