Joe Johnson has been with the Brooklyn Nets for three years, and he sees changes coming. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, and spoke with the media on Saturday morning. From the New York Post's Tim Bontemps:
Joe Johnson: "I don't see us coming back with the same team next year."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 2, 2015
Joe Johnson on potential changes on Nets roster: "I don't think anyone is indispensable, and that includes me."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 2, 2015
It's no secret that the Nets tried to make major changes earlier this season. They elected to mostly stand pat at the trade deadline, aside from trading Kevin Garnett for Thaddeus Young, but Johnson, Brook Lopez and Deron Williams were all involved in rumors. Brooklyn reportedly wants to re-sign Lopez and Young this summer, but there's no telling whether or not either of them actually want to be back.
Nets general manager Billy King is headed into the final year of his contract. He does not have an easy task in front of him. Brooklyn went all-in when it traded for Garnett and Paul Pierce in 2013, and it will be feeling the effects of this for years. The trade that brought Johnson to Brooklyn in 2012 means that the Nets and Hawks will be swapping draft picks this June. Next year's first and second rounders will be going to the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers, respectively. In 2017, Boston has the right to swap picks with Brooklyn, and the Celtics will get the Nets' 2018 first-round pick, too. Brooklyn will lose three other second-round picks between now and 2020, too.
Essentially, the current version of the Nets isn't going anywhere and it's hard to see them getting back on track anytime soon. King could try to blow this roster up, but it won't help them get better draft picks. Johnson is right: no one is indispensable. It's anyone's guess what happens in the next few months.
