[jwplayer kBav5MVx]
The 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets are going to look much different from the 2019-20 team with Kevin Durant returning to the floor, Kyrie Irving being his No. 2 and Steve Nash being the rookie who’ll run the show.
But that doesn’t mean — for all the weird things the franchise experienced — 2019-20 was a throwaway year for Brooklyn.
Nets Wire is looking at the good and bad from 2019-20 nd handing out some end of the season grades. Let’s look at the guard who played a big role for Brooklyn in the bubble:
Tyler Johnson
STATS: 12 PPG | 38.9 3PT%
Johnson wasn’t with the Brooklyn Nets for a long time, signing with the team ahead of the NBA’s restart of the 2019-20 season. But, his presence was certainly felt.
Nets general manager Sean Marks has had his eye on the guard for some time. Johnson signed an offer sheet with Brooklyn back in 2016, but the Miami Heat matched it. After going to Phoenix in 2018-19, he was released by the Suns in the middle of 2019-20 (pre-hiatus).
After only shooting 28.9% from three for the Suns, Johnson looked like the sharpshooter the Nets had tried to sign years ago — if not better.
In fact, he did so well that Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News thinks Brooklyn won’t be able to re-sign Johnson this offseason because his price tag will be too high.
Johnson would be a great option to have off the bench going forward. Given he’s reciprocated the interest Brooklyn has shown in him on more than one occasion, it stands to reason something could be worked out this offseason — assuming Steve Nash, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving all value what he brings to the table, too.