In fear of not being able to land the Orlando center in a trade, the Nets are reportedly in talks with the Atlanta Hawks about a possible deal for All-Star Joe Johnson, according to Yahoo! Sports.
The talks are said to not be very far along, and no official trade is imminent, given the NBA's moratorium on transactions until July 11. But the team is clearly doing all it can to keep star guard Deron Williams in Brooklyn.
Williams is an unrestricted free agent and is said to have narrowed his choices to either the Nets or the Mavericks. He has said he wants to play with Howard in Brooklyn, but the Magic — despite Howard's insistence on being traded — have shown no inclination to move the face of their franchise.
The Nets, then, may be hoping that the allure of a potential Williams-Johnson backcourt would be enough to get their point guard to re-sign.
The team is also reportedly exploring other possibilities, including a deal with Houston that would involve Luis Scola going to the Nets, and a package of expiring veteran contracts and a future draft pick being shipped to the Rockets. Should the Johnson trade fall through, the Nets are said to be considering a large offer to free agent guard O.J. Mayo as well.
