Every little bit helps ... Nets will have another million dollars in cap space
Cam Johnson disappointed last season so much so that he didn’t make his likely bonus numbers and that will mean a little more cap space for Brooklyn. A lot of NBA contracts have incentives, extra cash a player will earn if he meets a preordained level of success or if his teams reaches certain goals. Some of the bonuses are seen as “likely” if the player has met those numbers in his most recent season but “unlikely” if he hasn’t. For the purposes of the salary cap, the “likely” number is what counts. So what happens if a player doesn’t meet his numbers for even the “likely” bonuses? The team gets a cap break going forward.
As Bobby Marks writes in his update of his Sports Business Classroom, that’s what happened with Cam Johnson this season. Since he didn’t meet statistical levels for his “likely” bonus payment, he didn’t get it and the Brooklyn Nets have a little more cap space next year. It’s a bit complicated.
In a section of explanation of the CBA, Bobby Marks laid it out...
What that means is that the cap hit for Johnson next season will be less than projected. A “likely bonus” in 2023-24 is now ”unlikely” for next season since Johnson didn’t make his numbers this season. So his bonus of $1,125,000 goes from “likely” to “unlikely in calculating cap space and the Nets get a little more wiggle room this summer. (Johnson’s contribution to the cap will also reduced overall, since his contract was front-loaded this year to help give the Nets more flexibility.)
Johnson’s numbers took a dive last season from what he had done in both Phoenix and Brooklyn— and, more importantly, what the organization had hoped for. Johnson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists this past season while shooting 44.6% from the field and 39.1% from deep. He averaged 16.6 points in his 25 games with the Nets after being traded from the Suns and 18.5 points in the 76ers sweep of the Nets in 2023.
Moreover, he missed 24 games to various leg injuries: including all of training camp to a hamstring issue, then more time to calf, ankle and finally a toe sprain. Like his “twin,” Johnson was coming off the FIBA World Cup tour last summer. He may not have played as many minutes as his “twin”, Mikal Bridges, but like Bridges he was part of a two-month, 13-game, 25,000-mile experience.
The Nets payroll is still up in the air with uncertainly about free agency, possibly a draft pick and team options, etc. Still, every little bit helps.
H/T to The Brooklyn Way for noticing the Bobby Marks note.
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