The Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks have agreed to terms on a deal that will bring Joe Johnson to New York, sources told ESPN.com.
The deal is contingent on Deron Williams agreeing to stay with the Nets.
The Hawks, according to sources, would get Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, Jordan Williams, Johan Petro, DeShawn Stevenson (via sign-and-trade) and the Rockets' 2013 lottery protected first round pick.
The Nets, in addition to Johnson, retain the full $5 million mid-level exception (to sign Bosnian forward Mirza Teletovic) and their $1.95 million bi-annual exception to keep adding to their roster.
Brooklyn would also keep MarShon Brooks and the rights to free agent Gerald Green, while convincing Atlanta to take a first-round pick (via Houston), in this deal, sources said.
The Nets had been involved in discussions to acquire disgruntled center Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic but sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard that the Magic front office "didn't want to dance" with the Nets.
This is despite Howard saying Monday that Brooklyn is the only team, were he to be traded there, with which he would sign an extension. The Nets were amenable to that earlier this year -- before Howard elected to waive his opt-out clause with Orlando.
"Dwight blew it in March," a source told Broussard. The Nets had hoped to expedite a deal for Howard and make his presence part of their pitch to Williams, apparently, but the Magic do not appear particularly eager to deal him to Brooklyn, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher. Further, Orlando is moving far more slowly than the Nets can afford as they attempt to show Williams that they will spare no expense or effort to build a title-contending roster.
Johnson, a six-time All-Star, has been derided as not having lived up to the six-year, $119 million contract he signed two years ago, but he remains one of the top five-shooting guards in the league.
Williams, who is deciding whether to stay with the Nets or join the Dallas Mavericks, met with the Mavericks earlier Monday and met with the Nets on Monday evening.
The Nets, depleted of talent after acquiring Williams from the Utah Jazz at the 2011 February trade deadline and ravaged by injuries, were 22-44 last season.
If the Johnson acquisition convinces Williams to re-sign with the Nets for a maximum deal of five years and $109 million, sources say that would close the door on Howard joining them.
Brooklyn already has agreed to a four-year, $40 million deal with its other top unrestricted free agent, small forward Gerald Wallace. The Nets technically could work a sign-and-trade deal with Wallace when the official signing period begins on July 11, but sources say Wallace has been assured that is not the Nets' intention.
That would force Howard to revise his wish list, and a source said the Mavericks would move to the top. Howard's preferred destinations, when he first alerted the Magic that he wanted to be traded last season, were the Nets, Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, in that order. The Lakers, however, have fallen back into the mix of 28 other teams, said a source close to Howard.
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Net trade of Joe Johnson contingent on Deron Williams agreeing to stay with the Nets
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Originally Posted by paranoyd androyd
