Report: Nets talked Joe Johnson deal with Grizzlies, confident they can move him

While expiring contracts aren't quite the trade chip they were under the previous collective bargaining agreement, they're far more tradable than those with multiple years remaining.

That reality has the Brooklyn Nets thinking they may finally be able to deal seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson, who's about to enter the last season of a deal that will pay him $24.9 million this year. The Nets have been trying to find a home for the league's second-highest-paid player for most of the season, with his contract proving too onerous.

The team didn't mention Johnson in a letter to fans earlier in June and Johnson acknowledged he was probably on the market at the end of the year, so it's little surprise that trade talks are heating up ahead of free agency.

The Nets recently discussed a Johnson deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, according to a report from Marc Stein of ESPN on Monday, and while no deal was completed, the Nets have grown confident in their ability to find a home for the swingman.

Johnson's talents are obvious, and with his enormous contract set to expire, it's possible a team with space beneath the luxury tax and a win-now edict takes a chance. The cost should be minimal, as the Nets would be well-served to get out of their obligation to Johnson, and the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons have registered "exploratory interest" as a result.

The 34-year-old - happy birthday! - averaged 14.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this season, knocking down 35.9 percent of his threes. With a rare blend of outside shooting, dangerous play off the ball, strong finishing at the rim, and a deadly post game, there are few players as versatile on offense. Johnson's averaged 17.3 points over 1,062 career games with four teams and would bring 87 games of playoff experience with him.

The Nets would also like to move Deron Williams, but that seems like a pipe dream, with two years and $43.4 million remaining on his contract.

The Grizzlies, meanwhile, continue to be hyper-aggressive in their quest to improve on the wing. Discussions between Brooklyn and Memphis have been tabled, according to Stein, but Memphis has also made overtures to the Denver Nuggets about Danilo Gallinari.