Cam Johnson is aware of what time it’s. Or extra precisely, what time of yr it’s.
With this a rebuilding yr for the Nets, Johnson knew his title would come up in commerce rumors.
And with the Feb. 6 deadline simply two weeks away, these stories would come quick and livid. However he’s carried out his finest to tune them out.
Do they make noise canceling headphones for commerce rumors?
“Keep my head down. I just try to emotionally disconnect from that,” Johnson mentioned earlier than Wednesday’s 108-84 loss to his former Suns crew. “I’ve to, for the sake of myself, and make investments all that vitality into the current and to the crew that we’ve.
“No matter what happens, the Nets have invested a lot of resources in trying to make me a better player. So my job is to compete for the city, for this team, for this organization, for my teammates. And that’s what I’ll do. And if I get traded, then that objective shifts to wherever I’m going. But for now, this is where I’m at.”
The place Johnson was Wednesday was sidelined once more by his sprained proper ankle, after jamming it once more Tuesday whereas being guarded by Mikal Bridges.
He’s missed 8 of the previous 11 video games, and will miss extra if the ankle lingers.
However he’s averaging 19.4 factors on 49.1/41.9/89.8 taking pictures splits, making him a major commerce goal on a crew that’s rebuilding — although clearly nonetheless taking part in arduous.
“A group that’s going to compete. There’s a lot of outside noise, and I think we’ve understood that from Day 1,” Johnson mentioned. “Lots of people have loads to say about what we bought occurring. However what issues to us is what we bought occurring in our locker room and what goes on on our court docket. … On the finish of the day, no one can take that away from us once we exit and compete for one another.
“It has nothing to do with what we’re doing on the court. When we step between those lines. Our goal is to win every game and compete every game.”
The Stein Line reported the Nets and Kings haven’t talked about Johnson for weeks, and that Sacramento doesn’t see a pathway to a workable Johnson deal and is participating different groups on targets.
Brooklyn reportedly indicated to rival groups that they’re not as decided to maneuver Johnson as they have been to deal Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Tyrese Martin, Keon Johnson, Jalen Wilson, Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton began, their twenty fourth beginning lineup of the season.
That’s their most by way of the primary 45 video games in crew historical past per Elias.
Johnson (proper ankle sprain) and Ben Simmons (sickness) have been downgraded to out.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Max Lewis, De’Anthony Melton, D’Angelo Russell, Cam Thomas, Trendon Watford and Ziaire Williams have been additionally out.
Williams is each day. Watford has been upgraded to doing contact work.
