Brooklyn Nets Ink Keon Johnson to Two-Year Deal

A strong summer league performance landed the guard a standard contract.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

After losing Jacob Gilyard yesterday, the Brooklyn Nets received some positive summer league-related news today.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Brooklyn reached an agreement on a two-year standard NBA contract with Keon Johnson. The first year is partially guaranteed with a team option in the second.

Back in November of 2023, Johnson signed a two-way deal with the Nets and has bounced between the active roster and their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, ever since. Now, after performing admirably in the 2024 NBA Summer League, the three-year man out of Tennessee finds himself a spot in Brooklyn's future rebuild.

While the move isn't a needle-mover for the Nets, it's still a savvy one. Keeping continuity with someone who has already been within the organization for nearly a year will translate to positive development. The team option in the second year of Johnson's fresh contract also gives Brooklyn flexibility in the off chance that the 22-year-old proves to be a disappointment. Expectations will not be sky-high out of the gate, so the likelihood of this coming true remains slim.

General manager Sean Marks may have decided after losing Gilyard that allowing another summer league standout to leave would be detrimental to Brooklyn's future. If Johnson can recapture the ability he displayed in the 2021-22 NBA season that saw him average nearly 10 points per contest, this low-risk high-reward move may reward the Nets with a strong depth piece.

It will be intriguing to see what heights Johnson may hit now under head coach Jordi Fernandez and his "player development-first" mindset.

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