Undrafted two years ago, Johnson now has a rich contract and a starting spot.
Miami Heat free-agent guard Tyler Johnson has agreed to a 4-year, $50 million offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets.
Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the new NBA.
Johnson can officially sign the offer sheet at the end of the free-agent signing moratorium on Thursday. At that point, the Heat will have three days to match the offer, or allow him to leave.
The 24-year-old combo guard averaged 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 24 minutes a game last season.
This is a major salary jump for Johnson. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014, made just $507,000 in his second NBA season with the Heat and now signs a deal worth $50 million.
The Gilbert Arenas provision allows Johnson to make $5.6 million and $5.8 million in the first two years of the deal, but salaries of $18 million-plus and $19 million-plus in 2018-19 and 2019-20 make the offer sheet more prohibitive for the Heat to match.
For the Nets, they’re attempting to balance a backcourt that now includes Jeremy Lin and Johnson.
Johnson reportedly had a fair number of similar offer sheets to choose from; but elected to go with the Nets because of the immediate opportunity for playtime.
