The Brooklyn Nets have signed the Miami Heat’s Tyler Johnson to an offer sheet worth 4 years and 50 million, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Sources: Nets to sign Tyler Johnson to $50M offer sheet. @WojVerticalNBA report on @TheVertical. https://t.co/US0n73ICCd
— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) July 3, 2016
Johnson, 24, is a restricted free agent, so the Heat will have three days to match once players are eligible to be signed on July 7th. Included in the Nets’ deal is what they call a poison pill: should Johnson sign with the Nets, they’ll pay him roughly 12.5 million per season over the 4 years; however, if the Heat match, they’ll have to pay Johnson upwards of 18 million in years 3 and 4, as Albert Nahmad, a salary cap enthusiast, explains:
Nets offer sheet to Tyler Johnson: $5,628,000 + $5,881,260 + $18,858,765 + $19,631,975 = $50,000,000 total. https://t.co/5LQJNW1OIi
— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) July 3, 2016
Additionally, the Nets have given Johnson a player option in year three:
Nets’ offer sheet to Tyler Johnson—four years, $50M—has a player option after third year, per source. Incredible. https://t.co/JtGXzAwZB2
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 3, 2016
If the Nets get Johnson, they’ll add him to an increasingly dynamic backcourt along with recent signee Jeremy Lin. Johnson, a proud D-League graduate not dissimilar to teammate Hassan Whiteside, whom the Heat just maxed out on July 1st, averaged 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 24 minutes per game in 2015-2016 before hurting his shoulder in January.
Johnson is an explosive player that shot 38% from beyond the arc last season, meaning he could be a natural fit with Lin or even off the bench as a potential sixth man. With little chance at the biggest fish in the free agent pool, general manager Sean Marks has gone for some under the radar buys and, if the Heat don’t match, Johnson will have the opportunity to work with Kenny Atkinson — a widely hailed player development guru.
From a December article on Bleacher Report, writer Zach Buckley detailed the team-wide opinions on the athletic guard:
“You don’t have to put him in a box of, ‘What position is he?’ He can play on the ball, he can play off the ball; that’s why he’s a winning player,” Spoelstra said.
The hoops world is either still sleeping on Johnson’s something-from-nothing story or just waking up to it.
. . .
But those closest to the situation have seen enough to recognize real potential.
“It’s one of those situations where people are like, ‘Who is this guy?’ We know who he is,” Bosh said. “You better bring your lunch pail, because you’re going to have to work [against him].”
According to Barry Jackson from The Miami Herald, it appears as if the Nets are looking good in their pursuit of Johnson:
Am told Heat was informed of Johnson o-sheet with Nets, to be signed July 7. Nets anticipate getting Johnson because of contract structure.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) July 3, 2016
Many Heat players have begun to say goodbye to Johnson on Twitter, some of which the guard has now responded to:
lol crazy how the world works..still remember when they were like who TF is hassan whiteside
— Tyler Johnson (@Pusha650) July 3, 2016
congrats to my brother @RealTJohnson man. Ima miss my you bruh! Bougie boys for life ??
— Josuélito (@J_Rich1) July 3, 2016
Easy to be motivated when playing along side the 3rd best 2 guard ever
— Tyler Johnson (@Pusha650) July 3, 2016
Again, the Miami Heat will have until July 10th to match Johnson’s deal, should they so want to.
