Nets' Cam Johnson Will be Reevaluated Next Week
The Brooklyn Nets — losers of seven straight — finally received some positive news surrounding veteran forward Cam Johnson.
Or so it seems.
Ahead of the Nets' 110-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings, head coach Jordi Fernandez offered an update on Johnson's ankle rehab.
“He’ll be reevaluated I think next week. He’s out right now,” Fernandez said via Bridget Reilly of the New York Post. “Obviously, we want him to get that ankle right. He was good when he came back, it’s just like he tweaked it again twice. And again, it’s unlucky, but we just want to make sure that now it’s strong enough that he’ll be able to play through things and he’s 100%. Obviously, we want him back. We love having Cam Johnson, because you guys know his leadership and also the impact he has for us, but right now this is the situation that we have to deal with.”
Johnson has made just five appearances in the month of January due to an ankle sprain suffered at the end of Brooklyn's Jan. 2 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
His absences have coincided with a flurry of trade rumors, one linking him to the same Sacramento squad that handed the franchise its seventh-straight loss last night.
With no target date set for Johnson's return, compounded by the ever-persistenmt trade buzz, could result in Johnson having suited up as a Net for the final time.
Amid a career-year for the 28-year-old, plenty of suitors have been mentioned.
Over the summer, it was the Cleveland Cavailiers that appeared to be the frontrunners. That narrative quickly shifted to the Golden State Warriors before Brooklyn sent them Dennis Schroder instead. Now, the Kings seem to be the most likely landing spot.
However, there is a reality where Brooklyn simply holds onto Johnson.
Under Fernandez, he's evolved into a true go-to scoring threat. Nets fans haven't been treated to a healthy duo of Johnson and Cam Thomas in many instances this season, so their potential as a one-two punch is still up to speculation.
It's entirely possible Johnson's Brooklyn tenure will come to a close soon, but not yet guaranteed.
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