NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Potential Joe Johnson Trade and More

The buzz surrounding NBA free agency has steadily declined with all eyes on summer league action in Las Vegas, but that doesn't mean the rumor mill has stopped churning entirely. 

Not only are back-end rotation gigs on contenders still up for grabs, but some high-profile moves in recent days have provided clarity on the status of a star previously rumored to be on the trade block.

So while morsels of gossip are becoming more elusive by the day, a few have trickled down that can't be overlooked as the signing period enters a more dormant state.  

Joe Johnson Staying Put

Jim Mone/Associated Press

According to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst, the Cleveland Cavaliers previously toyed with the idea of trading Brendan Haywood's non-guaranteed deal as a way to acquire Joe Johnson and the remaining $24.9 million on his contract. 

But according to ESPN.com's Mike Mazzeo (via ESPN's Chris Broussard), those talks didn't advance very far:

And following the Dallas Mavericks' reported acquisition of the recently bought out Deron Williams, ESPN.com's Marc Stein expects Johnson to stay put in Brooklyn for the upcoming season:

While the Nets' depth at point guard took a hit following Williams' departure, a core of Johnson, Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young has a chance to compete for a playoff spot in the top-heavy Eastern Conference.  

However, Johnson's posted sub-average 14.1 player efficiency ratings during two of his last three seasons, according to Basketball-Reference.com, and his three-point percentage dipped to 35.9 last season—his lowest conversion rate since the 2010-11 season. 

Johnson remained steady in catch-and-shoot situations, though, drilling 38.1 percent of those attempts last season, per SportVU player-tracking data.  

Idyllic championship aspirations may be a thing of the past, but that's a good thing. Brooklyn can finally focus on growing more organically with Williams gone and Johnson primed to thrive in a contract year. 

Shved Back to the Knicks?

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

The New York Knicks have a small slice of cap space left to fill, and according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone, a familiar face could slot into that spot:

While the Knicks added Arron Afflalo and have Langston Galloway under contract through next season at a shade over $845,000, per Spotrac, Alexey Shved could provide some solid depth for Derek Fisher on the wing.

Shved was flipped to the Knicks at the February trade deadline in a deal that sent Pablo Prigioni to the Houston Rockets, and the Russian 2-guard actually thrived in a small sample.

Over the course of 16 games (nine starts), Shved averaged 14.8 points and shot 37.1 percent from three. Additionally, the Knicks' offensive rating jumped by 4.1 points when Shved was on the floor, according to NBA.com.   

Back on March 4, Fisher discussed Shved's development within the team's triangle offense. 

"Alexey is continuing to find an identity and role within our team and showing us some ability to do some things in terms of handling the ball and making passes and plays,’" Fisher said, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman. 

While the Knicks' dearth of scoring options undoubtedly inflated Shved's numbers during his first taste of life at Madison Square Garden, he deserves an extended chance to evolve.    

Clippers Eyeing More Help up Front

Brandon Dill/Associated Press

The composition of the Los Angeles Clippers frontcourt has largely remained in tact thanks to DeAndre Jordan's decision to spurn the Dallas Mavericks, but the team isn't done searching for veteran reinforcements, according to the Los Angeles Times' Brad Turner: 

This almost makes too much sense not to happen.

Fox Sports' D.J. Foster explained why adding Darrell Arthur could benefit the Clippers on both ends of the floor:

Arthur is conventionally slotted in at power forward since he's played 83 percent of his career minutes at the 4, per Basketball-Reference, but as Foster noted, the 27-year-old is athletic enough to defend more agile perimeter threats.

Arthur's also a steady mid-range jump-shooter who could benefit immensely from Chris Paul's elite vision and pocket passes.

Last season, Arthur shot 47.7 percent as the roll man in pick-and-rolls, per Synergy, and his ability to pop out to the free-throw line or top of the arc for threes makes him the kind of confident shooter the team needs behind Blake Griffin.