The Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets reportedly discussed a trade that would send all-star guard Joe Johnson to the Grizzlies. Talks did not escalate any further but the two teams did in fact discuss this possibility.
The Nets may have been shopping Johnson in an effort to dump his hefty contract. In 2010, Joe Johnson signed a six-year, $119 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson was soon traded to the Nets in the summer of 2012. From that point, Brooklyn would owe him $90 million over the next four seasons.
Johnson's huge contract has been a hindrance on the Nets' ability to add key free agents. Brooklyn also cashed out on their cap space when they gave point guard Deron Williams a five-year, $100 million contract in 2012. They were also due to give center Brook Lopez $17 million this season before he recently opted out of his contract.
A Joe Johnson trade to Memphis would've added more depth to the guard position. Tony Allen is the current starting shooting guard for Memphis, but Johnson's star power could have been inserted into that lineup. The Grizzlies also have a sharpshooter in Courtney Lee at the shooting guard position.
Joe Johnson may have been the final piece to the puzzle that helps Memphis reach the NBA Finals. They will have their hands full trying to re-sign unrestricted free agent Marc Gasol. If the Grizzlies keep their current team intact, keep point guard Mike Conley healthy, and add a few key pieces in free agency, the promise land is not far. This is a Grizzlies team that took the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors to six games in the Western Conference semifinals without a healthy Mike Conley.
It's obvious that the Grizzlies are searching for a scorer, which was their biggest weakness last season. Aside from Johnson, they have also registered interest in Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari. The team's offensive struggles could be fixed by simply adding either Johnson or Gallinari. However, acquiring Johnson and his large contract will be tough.
The Nets, on the other hand, will not stop seeking a Johnson trade. They want to clear cap space to re-sign Lopez and Thaddeus Young to lengthy contracts as well as sign quality role players.