NBA Free Agency 2012: Brooklyn Nets Agree to Trade with Atlanta, Acquire Johnson

The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to a trade to bring Atlanta shooting guard Joe Johnson to Brooklyn in return for multiple players. As reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com,

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"The deal as it stands, as reported Sunday night by ESPN.com, calls for the Nets to send the expiring contracts of Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Anthony Morrow and Jordan Williams along with DeShawn Stevenson (via sign-and-trade) and a future first-round pick (lottery-protected in 2013 via Houston) to Atlanta in exchange for Johnson."

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This deal brings the volume shooter Johnson to the Nets without giving up their best young player, MarShon Brooks. Johnson will join Brooks and Brook Lopez as the Nets move to Brooklyn this year.

The Nets hope that signing a star like Johnson will entice Deron Williams to stay with the organization. 

The loss of Farmar, Petro and Morrow will force the Nets to reload their bench, but they gained a sure-fire starter in Johnson. 

For Atlanta, the Hawks received outside shooting with Morrow and Farmar, but the move was more about cap space. In the same article by Stein, he explains the Hawks reasoning. 

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"The Hawks, meanwhile, did not get much in the way of talent that can make an immediate impact, but new Atlanta general manager Danny Ferry simply could not pass on the opportunity to deal Johnson's contract, which still owes him nearly $90 million over the next four seasons. Ferry can now start to rebuild the Hawks after shedding the richest contract in the whole league, worth $126 million when Johnson signed it in the summer of 2010." 

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One fallout of this trade is that the Nets no longer have the cap room to sign Magic center Dwight Howard. They could be waiting until he is a free agent next season, but for now, Brooklyn is out of the Dwight sweepstakes. 

Will the addition of Johnson convince Williams to stay in Brooklyn? It certainly helps.

The Nets ensured that at least they are heading to Brooklyn with a marketable star. They can build around Johnson for the future or use him down the line in a possible trade.