6:43pm: The Nets have officially signed Aldridge, according to a team press release.
4:19pm: The Nets are signing veteran power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and have waived Alize Johnson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Brooklyn has officially announced the release of Johnson.
Aldridge will receive a veteran’s minimum contract worth $2.6MM for one year. That was all the Nets could offer due to salary cap constraints.
Aldridge retired last season due to an irregular heartbeat, but received medical clearance to resume his career on Thursday and Brooklyn was considered his likely destination. He played five games with the Nets before the condition forced him to temporarily end his career.
“I retired in April based on what I believed was the wisest precautionary decision for my personal health at the time, but further testing and evaluation by several top physicians has convinced the doctors, myself and the Nets that I’m fully cleared and able to return to the rigors of the NBA,” Aldridge said in a statement to ESPN. “I loved my brief time with Brooklyn and am excited to rejoin the team in pursuit of a championship.”
Aldridge, who also dealt with heart issues in 2017, started talking about a comeback last month. He averaged 13.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21 games last season with the Spurs as the team’s starting center. San Antonio opted to go with younger players and ultimately reached a buyout agreement, allowing him to sign with Brooklyn in late March. He was waived after announcing his retirement.
Johnson, 25, appeared in 18 games for Brooklyn in 2020/21, averaging 5.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG in just 10.5 minutes per contest.
Since he was on a three-year, minimum-salary contract, Johnson can’t be claimed off waivers using the minimum salary exception, but a team with a trade exception big enough to absorb his non-guaranteed $1.76MM salary could submit a claim. If he goes unclaimed, Johnson will become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday.
Brooklyn has been quite busy this week. The team reportedly reached an agreement with free agent forward Paul Millsap and has also agreed to trade DeAndre Jordan to the Pistons along with four second-round picks and $5.78MM in cash in exchange for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya.
After officially adding Millsap and Aldridge and completing their trade with Detroit, the Nets will have 16 players on guaranteed contracts and one (DeAndre’ Bembry) on a partially guaranteed deal, meaning more roster moves will be necessary to set the 15-man regular season roster next month.
Additionally, Brooklyn is carrying a two-way player (Kessler Edwards) and another (David Duke) on an Exhibit 10 deal. The club also has two unsigned second-round picks (RaiQuan Gray and Marcus Zegarowski).
04 Laker vibes
20/21 Nets vibes
not even close
NBA has turned into a joke
It’s been this way for years.
If you’re a fan of a small-market or non-traditional market team, the stars have to align perfectly for your team to have a shot at a championship. Recent examples include the 2019 Raptors and the Bucks last season.
You’re talking about having a shot, but the New York market has not won any basketball championships since the 1970s when the Nets did it in the ABA and the Knicks did it in the NBA.
Well the Bucks have Giannis… they should lk d be a contender every single year.
Aldridge will be a good addition for them, good midrange shooter, will get some boards. Not in his prime anymore, but adding him and removing Jordan makes them better overall as he isn’t someone you mind having at the free throw line late in games.
Stop crying and learn to compete. You find talent and develop talent. That’s it.
What bothers me. Is why ring chase with Nets. He should of signed with Blazers. It would of meant so much more. Just to get out West. Nets ain’t winning. They still got no D. And two air heads leading the way.
I can’t wait til folks start saying “I’m tired of the lakers winning championships”. Everybody knows what’s up.
No one has said that since 2010, and won’t be again for a very long time.
Their current window of opportunity is miniscule with their AARP roster.
If not for the six month layoff in 2020 they wouldn’t have won then either.
Didn’t every team get a 6 months lay off?)
LOL haters are funny
So they have Aldridge, Millsap, and Blake.
Lol
Durant played a lot of 4 for them also with joe Harris on the floor and they signed patty mills.
But, hopefully Alize gets a shot on a team is developed. He showed some skill and REALLY hustles.
Stinks NBA teams keep throwing out guys past their prime and prevent these youngsters from developing.
duke and zegarowski are gonna be available. really good players getting lost in the shuffle.
His parents couldn’t come up with a better name than David Duke ?
compared to yours?
Hey, leave Al Capone alone! :) Actually, I do know a guy named Sal Capone… I did check the Nets’ David Duke’s twitter account. Imagine my surprise when I saw in the header #BlackLivesMatter. Suspend your disbelief.
Yeah if I was him once I learned of who I shared a name with I would’ve started going by my middle name.
Aside from Durant and Bruce Brown who is going to play defense for the Nets?????
(Joe Harris is actually OK defender and gives effort,)
Nets were 22nd in DEFRTG last year, just a head of the full rebuilding Thunder and Cavs.
They will score. Who will they stop?
Alize be picked up by the Timberwolves?? They are razor thin at PF.