Former Tar Heels Basketball Star Traded Again To Title Contender

There was a lot of speculation about Johnson getting his walking papers from the Nets as they are in a full rebuild mode. Johnson is coming off of a good season where he averaged 18.8 points. His $21 million in salary in 2026 was a good deal for the Nets to dump and not a bad contract for the Nuggets to absorb. He will make $23 million in 2027.

Johnson is $12 million cheaper than Porter and also shoots at a 39 percent clip from behind the arc.

Denver is a perennial world championship contender. They won the NBA title in 2023, but have not been the same team since. This was a good move for the Nuggets and a good landing space for Johnson. He can help take the Nuggets' offense to the next level.

Johnson will fit in nicely with Denver stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. He is not going to have to be the sole source of offense with the Nuggets. In Brooklyn, he had to create space for himself and find a way to carry the team on his back.

While Jokic usually draws a double team, it should leave Johnson available for an outside shot or a back-door cutter as he is very strong in the paint or from the field.

Denver made a statement with this move on the first day of free agency. Johnson will improve the Nuggets and make the players around him better.

Speaking of the Nets, they reached a deal with another former Tar Heels star. They re-signed Day'Ron Sharpe to a two-year deal worth $12 million. The contract also includes a team option.

Sharpe is coming off of his best season in the NBA and will push to be part of the starting lineup. He was a first-day offer from the Nets due to the fact he would have gotten plenty of offers if he hit the open market. Sharpe averaged 7.9 points and 6.6 rebounds last season.

The Nets failed to make him a qualifying offer which made him an unrestricted free agent. He decided not to test the waters.

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