Nets' Keon Johnson Set to Become Key Rotational Piece

The 22-year-old could take advantage of thin backcourt depth.

Feb 14, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson (45) drives the ball against Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) and guard Jordan Walsh (27) in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Outside of Dennis Schroder, the Brooklyn Nets' backcourt room is glaringly bare from an experience standpoint.

The only other active guard outside of Schroder with solid NBA reps under their belt is Shake Milton, who the franchise acquired as part of July's Mikal Bridges trade. While great in his role, Milton is more of a crafty scorer than an established facilitator.

Luckily for new head coach Jordi Fernandez, a potential option emerged at the NBA 2K25 Summer League. Keon Johnson performed well enough to be handed a fresh two-year standard NBA contract On July 20, and may be primed for a larger role after a strong summer performance.

In just five showings last season, Johnson tallied 6.2 points, 0.6 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game. His end-of-season display mirrored more the player he was during his rookie season with the Portland Trailblazers compared to the two campaigns that followed. With Brooklyn entrenched in a total overhaul, there is reason to believe Johnson could secure more opportunity than the 12.2 minutes per contest he was given in 2023-24.

If the 22-year-old builds off his Las Vegas demonstration, the Nets may have found yet another in-house contributor. A full Fernandez-led offseason will help refine Johnson's skills, creating another addition to Brooklyn's already-solid young core.

Nets fans will get to see what Johnson has to offer outside of a small sample size when Brooklyn travels to Atlanta on Oct. 23 to take on Trae Young and the Hawks.

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