The Nets requested
waivers Thursday on Joe Johnson, a seven-time All-Star shooting guard whose
likeness still dominates team promotional materials. Johnson, 34, will be able
to join a new team — a playoff contender, presumably — if he clears waivers
Saturday afternoon. He averaged 11.8 points, 4.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds a
game this season for the Nets (16-42), who are among the N.B.A.’s most dismal
teams, despite a 116-106 win at lowly Phoenix (14-44) on Thursday night.
Against the Suns, Bojan Bogdanovic scored a career-high 24 points to lead the
Nets, and Thaddeus Young added 18 points, 8 rebounds and 7 steals.
The former Net Mirza
Teletovic led Phoenix with a season-high 30 points. The Suns lost their 13th
straight game, tying a single-season franchise record. ESPN reported Thursday
morning that Johnson and the Nets had begun negotiating a buyout agreement.
Some teams headed to the postseason, including Boston and Cleveland, have shown
interest in him, according to news media reports. Sean Marks, the Nets’ new
general manager, released a statement thanking Johnson for his contributions.
“Joe has been a quality professional since joining the Nets four years ago, was
a valued member of three playoff teams, and provided many thrilling moments for
his teammates and Nets fans,” Marks said. “We wish him much success in the
future.” On Thursday, before the move was announced, Marks said in an interview
on WFAN radio that Johnson “deserved the right” to play on a postseason
contender this year if he desired. Johnson, according to league rules, needed
to be waived before March 1 to be eligible for the playoffs.
Johnson has been one of
the highest-paid players in the N.B.A. since signing a six-year, $124 million
contract with the Atlanta Hawks on July 10, 2010. In 2012 he was traded to the
Nets for a package that included five players and a first-round draft pick. For
the Nets, he displayed a cool demeanor on the court and a knack for late-game
scoring. He was a quiet presence in the locker room — though noted for his deadpan
humor — and a steady professional. Despite battling nagging injuries throughout
his tenure, he rarely missed games. Two seasons ago, Kevin Garnett revealed
that he and his Nets teammates had coined the nickname Joe Jesus to reflect
Johnson’s heroic play. “He might not be there when you call on him, but he’s
there when you need him,” Garnett said at the time. Yet Johnson never produced
the sustained brilliance the team had sought. In 288 games for the Nets, he
averaged 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
