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The Charlotte Hornets are discussing a new deal with the Brooklyn Nets after a rumored three-team deal that would have sent Lance Stephenson to the Brooklyn Nets was pronounced "dead" by media.
Yahoo Sources: Charlotte, Brooklyn restart trade talks. This time, the focus is Joe Johnson. http://t.co/UQyp4u1vOV
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) January 26, 2015
Yup. Joe Johnson.
The deal would have the Hornets sending a package of Lance Stephenson, Gerald Henderson, and Marvin Williams to the Nets in exchange for the seven-time All-Star.
That may seem like a lot for Johnson, but that's debatable. Johnson's mostly known for his awful contract; Despite only having two years left on his deal, he's owed $48 million over that stretch. He's also 33 years old.
However, Johnson would offer the Hornets stability on the wing and would be a great fit alongside Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. He's a career 37.1 percent 3-point shooter on 4.4 attempts per game and has averaged 3.5 or more assists per game in all but two of his 13-year career. In other words, Johnson spreads the floor and helps create shots for his teammates.
It's also worth noting that Johnson's Usage Percentage (the percentage of plays he ends with either a shot attempt or turnover) hasn't been over 22.3 percent in three years. He's not the ball hog many think he is.
Defensively, Johnson's a mixed bag. He's exceptionally strong and has great size at his position, but he's sometimes a step slow which can be exploited by the league's quicker players. That said, he's a system player at this point in his career and smart on the defensive end.
Even with all Johnson can offer the Hornets, this deal is puzzling because it relinquishes the Hornets of much of the depth they've created over the years. Their depth chart would change dramatically if this deal goes through.
Still, this rumor was likely leaked by someone associated with the Nets and may be an attempt at generating interest for and driving up the price of Johnson. The Hornets are a notoriously tight-lipped organization since general manager Rich Cho came aboard.
More to come as this story develops.