Getty Nicolas Claxton #33 and Alize Johnson #24 of the Brooklyn Nets run downcourt during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets
The New York Knicks had their first free agent mini-camp last week. The mini-camp is likely a tryout to be added to the Knicks July summer league roster. Two of the players on the camp list were former Brooklyn Nets players. Alize Johnson and Reggie Perry, both forwards who have suited up for the Nets, were given a tryout for the other New York NBA team.
If either Johnson or Perry were to make the Knicks roster it would be a return to the NBA for each of them. The full roster was announced on Twitter via by the New York Times’ Adam Zagoria.
Former Net Alize Johnson
Alize Johnson made the Nets roster after an impressive campaign on two ten-day contracts in Brooklyn. Following his strong play, Johnson was signed to a standard contract for the Nets in 2021. The forward from Missouri State appeared in 18 games for the Nets and averaged 5 points and 5 rebounds per game while averaging just above 10 minutes per game. Johnson showed flashes of having the potential to produce more in extended minutes in his career-high 20-point and 21-rebound game against the Indiana Pacers.
The Nets waived Johnson in September to clear space for LaMarcus Aldridge. As a result, he bounced around the NBA on 10-day contracts in the Covid-filled season of 2021-22. While playing for different teams he didn’t get the same opportunity he saw in Brooklyn in this NBA season. Will he earn a spot on the Knicks with an increased opportunity to play extended minutes? Let’s see if he makes the summer league roster first.
Johnson isn’t the only former Net in attendance at the Knicks mini-camp. Reggie Perry, who was on the Nets roster as a rookie in the 2020-21 NBA season, was also part of the tryout. Perry played 26 games for Brooklyn where he averaged 3 points and nearly 3 rebounds per game in under 10 minutes of play. This season, Perry averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds per game as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Johnson who was at one time a McDonald’s All-American 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup MVP, was unable to crack the Nets rotation as a rookie. This year he averaged a bit more minutes in Portland, but look at the rosters the Trail Blazers were working with, and a lot of random names played big minutes for the injury-plagued franchise.
Other free agent players who attended the Knicks minicamp are Devon Dotson, John Petty, Craig Randall, George King, Chris Clemons, Carlik Jones, Aaron Henry, AJ Lawson, and Daquan Jeffries.
Nets Summer League Roster
With the Knicks sorting out their summer league roster it is safe to wonder what the Nets may look like. Brooklyn has proven to be able to find players like Kessler Edwards, David Duke Jr., and they also have shown signs to develop draft picks like with Cam Thomas or Nic Claxton. The Brooklyn ball club currently sit with the 76ers first round draft pick at number 23. However, they do have the opportunity to defer the pick which they may do this season.