This Nets deal is a little confusing.

Because the Nets currently have a fixed lineup rotation, replacing Mahinmi will not bring much help.

Moreover, the Nets currently have 15 guaranteed contracts on their roster, and to trade for Mahinmi, they will have to cut players to make room for them.

Guaranteed contracts and layoffs will still be counted against the salary cap.

Let’s talk about Mahinmi’s contract. It was acquired by the Pacers from the Mavericks in 2012. It is worth 16 million in four years and expires in the summer of 2016.

Although the contract is not very large, the 4 million-year contract adds a lot of luxury tax to the Nets, which is almost 16 million more luxury taxes per year.

Even Mahinmi's performance with the Pacers was relatively average. He was a player who didn't have many functions other than defense and pie-eating...

However, the power of fans is always strong, and soon someone on social media analyzed the reason why the Nets did this.

This is about preparing to pardon Joe Johnson.

The NBA does not clearly limit the time for amnesty to players, and can grant amnesty at any time as long as the rules are met.

However, most teams will do this in the summer, because the team's lineup is basically determined in the summer.

So fans didn't expect this at first.

However, some professional fans have begun to analyze that the Nets' luxury tax this season has reached more than 90 million.

If Joe Johnson performs well, the Nets are willing to pay the luxury tax.

But the crux of the problem is that Johnson has yet to come out of the shadow of last season's Finals. If the Nets do this again, they will be taken advantage of.

If Joe Johnson is pardoned, even including Mahinmi who was traded, the Nets' overcap limit will plummet from more than 30 million to more than 14 million.

In terms of luxury tax transactions, it has been reduced from more than 90 million to 38 million.

This is equivalent to saving more than 50 million yuan at once.

The Nets would only have to pay about 40 million to amnesty Johnson.

In such a comparison, amnesty appears to be a very good deal.

Therefore, Walken Dean has always had a plan and always left himself room for choice.

Fans' speculations were quickly verified.

Before the trade deadline officially ended, the Nets indeed used the special clause on Joe Johnson.

Johnson's Nets career was over.

And as soon as the amnesty was granted, the Nets official website tweeted to thank Johnson for his contribution to the Nets.

Since being traded in 2012, Johnson has played for the Nets for three seasons and helped the team win two championships.

Although he is now pardoned, his contribution will not be erased.

After a 48-hour bidding period, Johnson was ultimately not placed under bid.

It's not that there is no market for Johnson, but according to regulations, only teams that still have salary space are eligible to participate in the bidding.

It's the middle of the season now, and there are basically no teams that still have salary space.

The only few teams basically have no hope for the playoffs.

For Johnson, it's a good thing that he didn't get bid, because according to the rules, he can freely choose his next home.

After finally weighing the situation, he joined the Heat with a one-year contract worth 3 million.

The Heat did not use up their mid-level exception in the summer, which made them competitive in the process of signing Johnson.

Moreover, the Heat have shown a very good team atmosphere after trading away Anthony and welcoming Wade, and are now ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference.

This is definitely a good place for Johnson.

Back to the Nets.

A few days later, the Nets were at home and faced their first opponent after the trade deadline, the Wizards.

The Wizards' most important signing in the summer was to sign Yi Jianlian, making him the team's power forward.

Yi Jianlian got a bigger role with the Wizards and had the best season of his career.

He averaged 12 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season, and he shot 40.3% from three-point range.

Wall was able to be selected as the Eastern All-Star before, and his status as "Yi Jianlian's teammate" gave him a lot of help.

It was in this game that fans saw the Nets' new lineup.

Delong, Bradley, Claude, Lin Ying, Chandler.

Crowder was selected by the Nets themselves, and he is the only one the team has cultivated since Lin Ying arrived at the Nets.

Well, it was Lin Ying who suggested that Walken Dean choose it.

With this arrangement, we can understand the reason why the Nets traded for Mahinmi before. This was to serve as a new backup power forward.

After all, Marion is old, so he can occasionally support him, but it is a bit difficult to rotate.

Moreover, Mahinmi's defense is online, and he and Jokic can share a lot of pressure when they come on as a substitute partner.

This was also reflected in the game against the Wizards.

And without Johnson, the Nets players' enthusiasm for the game has become much higher.

People are very realistic. In the past, Johnson continued to dominate even though he didn't play well. As time went by, other people would definitely have some thoughts in their hearts even if they didn't show it out of consideration for the team atmosphere.

Now that Johnson has left, and it is Crowder who is taking over, this is tantamount to changing the direction and telling others that they can win, so why don't they just do it?

Even Deron played harder and harder.

Because he also felt an existential threat.

If he continues to be like this, it is not impossible for the Nets to kick him away and let Bradley and JR play together in the backcourt.

Stimulated by these external factors, the Nets played a very hot state in late February.

Well, the kind of feeling that made Joe Johnson couldn't help but sigh, "So you just want me to leave?"

Counting the two games before the All-Star break, the Nets ended February with a nine-game winning streak.

Such a performance led Barkley to shout "They're back!" on TNT.

The Nets team that dominated the league for the past two seasons is back!

"They just got older and needed time to warm up, and now they're back!"

Barkley couldn't hide his excitement. After all, he was a serious No. 1 player.

Well, then, the first game in March.

Deron is injured.

Moreover, he was not as lucky as before and suffered an ankle injury that ended the season.

This is something unexpected, but also reasonable.

Moreover, it seems that there are some unsolvable problems.

The Nets were very cautious with Deron last season and always chose to rest him.

But the result was that Deron couldn't get up in the playoffs because he played less games.

So in the new season, the Nets gave up this plan.

This was no problem at the beginning of the season.

Because Delong's injuries are all small and scattered, they will slowly recover if he takes care of himself.

He played less last season, and with the offseason training, the injury will recover.

Then the Nets' record was not good, Karl adopted Lu's strategy, and Johnson was waived.

These things have prompted Deron to work harder and harder in the regular season.

Then, his body couldn't bear the stress and got injured.

This is definitely not what the Nets wanted to see, but this is the final result.

And the key is still in March, the buyout deadline has just ended, and the Nets basically have no room to make up for it.

In Delong's first training session after his injury, Lin Ying's brows were always furrowed.

Even though he had heard Jordan talk about the hardships of the last championship when he won his second three consecutive championships, this game in front of him was really too difficult!

Jordan is very strong, but if you say that Deron was reimbursed for the season in the last year of his second three-game winning streak, even Jordan basically had no choice.

This round is really too difficult!

It wasn't until the next day that Lin Ying regained his composure, and then used actions and a positive attitude to encourage his teammates during training.

Think of it as a kind of tempering for yourself!

He has experienced situations that Jordan has not experienced, and this may be an opportunity for him to surpass Jordan in some aspects.

Jordan is very strong, but he is definitely not a god.

And he not only puts in more in training, but also in games.
To be continued...