The Brooklyn Nets intend on signing Tyler Johnson to a four-year, $50 offer sheet, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical:
Miami Heat restricted free-agent guard Tyler Johnson has agreed to sign a four-year, $50 million offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets, league sources told The Vertical.
Once Johnson, 24, signs the offer sheet at the end of the free-agent signing moratorium on Thursday, the Heat will have three days to match the offer and retain Johnson – or let him leave for the Nets.
Johnson, 24, averaged 8.7 points per game in 24 minutes per contest with the Heat last season. Playing in just 36 games due to a shoulder injury, Johnson proved to be a valuable back-up guard that bolstered Miami’s bench, electrifying the team and providing double-digit points on any given night.
Brooklyn, realizing his potential, is striking early. With Miami struggling to figure out its Durant-Wade-others cap situation, the Nets are in perfect position to steal one from the Heat. Johnson, a 38% three point shooter this season, would play alongside another aggressive guard — Jeremy Lin — in the Nets’ backcourt.
Miami has three days to match Brooklyn’s offer, something the Heat brass have long been expected to do when this situation finally arose. However, Miami will struggle being able to match this offer.
The Gilbert Arenas provision allows Johnson to be paid $5.6M and $5.8M during his first two seasons with Brooklyn, then $18.8M and $19.6M over his final two seasons. The Heat will have a tough time deciding whether or not to match.
Along with the Nets, Charlotte, Chicago, Sacramento, and New Orleans had aggressively pursued Johnson, sources told Wojnarowski. Each team is in dire need of a guard — Charlotte losing Jeremy Lin, Chicago trading Derrick Rose, Sacramento letting Rajon Rondo sign elsewhere this summer, and New Orleans losing Eric Gordon.
Tyler Johnson went undrafted out of Fresno State in 2014 and was eventually signed to a deal by Miami, clearly realizing his talent early on. Johnson made $507,000 this season with the Heat, and much like his teammate Hassan Whiteside, is due for a massive increase in salary.
Brooklyn is willing to solve that issue for Johnson, but it remains to be seen whether Miami is.
(UPDATE 7/10/16): The Miami Heat have matched the Brooklyn Nets offer sheet to Tyler Johnson. Miami will sign him to a 4-year deal worth $50 million.
following according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo! Sports.
The Miami Heat have matched Brooklyn's $50M offer sheet for Tyler Johnson, league source tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 10, 2016
Sources: Heat are still in process of filing the official paperwork, but decision has been made to match Nets' offer and retain Johnson.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 10, 2016
