Getty Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets. The Dallas Mavericks were listed as a possible landing spot for Johnson this summer.
With the Dallas Mavericks‘ season wrapped up, the attention of fans has shifted to how the team can work to improve this summer. Of course, working to re-sign Kyrie Irving will be priority No. 1 for Mark Cuban, Nico Harrison, and the boys. But in order to compete they’re going to find pieces to support their two stars, Irving and Luka Doncic.
One potential candidate for the Mavericks to bring in would be Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Heavy Sports‘ Sean Deveney recently caught up with an anonymous Eastern Conference general manager who listed Dallas on a short list of potential landing spots for Johnson.
“It won’t hurt to take a shot on him and at least make them match” the source said. “If I have limited means but I want to take a shot, he is a guy I would look at, maybe for a full tax midlevel. Miami is one that needs to take a gamble like that, Dallas is another. Or he could be a development guy in a place like Portland. The relationship with the Nets is a weird one because they seem really reluctant to actually play him. Even after the trades. There is no question that the guy has talent but they’re worried about whether he has what it takes between the ears. Every time he gets one of those 30-point games, they’re happy because the kid is good but they’re also like, ‘Oh no, this is going to blow up his ego.’ But I would be surprised if the Nets let him go.”
The 26-year-old forward has started in all 25 of his regular-season appearances for the Nets, since being traded to Brooklyn by the Phoenix Suns as part of the Kevin Durant deal. Johnson has averaged 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, while shooting 46.8% from the field and 37.2% from deep.
Nico Harrison Wants to Bring Defense & Rebounding to Mavs
Johnson is primarily know for his ability to shoot and stretch the floor. However, shooting wasn’t something that Harrison, Dallas’ GM mentioned when laying out his blueprint for the offseason. He specifically listed defense and rebounding as the two categories where he wants to improve the roster most.
“I think for us going into the offseason, the two biggest things that we need to work on is defense and rebounding,” Harrison said via the Dallas Mavericks official YouTube channel. “That’s going to be addressed.”
Mavs’ Nico Harrison ‘Optimistic’ to Ink New Kyrie Irving Contract
During the same availability, Harrison explained that he remains “optimistic” that the organization can agree to terms with Irving and ink him to a new contract this summer.
“I think the things he said along the way about how he feels here, how he feels appreciated, how he feels accepted, and allowed to be himself. I think those are the things he’s said kind of consistently, and that gives me the optimism that he wants to be here,” Harrison explained.
Dallas acquired Irving from Johnson’s current team, the Nets, via trade ahead of this season’s deadline.