The Brooklyn Nets truly are hoping that if they erase a few players from their minds, they’ll erase them from the roster as well.
Nets general manager Billy King and CEO Brett Yormark sent a letter to season-ticket holders and sponsors on Friday — without a mention of Deron Williams or Joe Johnson — the team’s two highest-paid players, according to the New York Post’s Marc Berman.
In a letter obtained by The Post, King and Yormark wrote they visited owner Mikhail Prokhorov two weeks ago in Moscow to “discuss the state of the team.”
King and Yormark stated the Nets have plans to re-sign Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young “to keep our core leadership together.” They stated they wanted to “build on our emerging young core,” mentioning Mason Plumlee, Bojan Bogdanovic, Markel Brown and Sergey Karasev. They mentioned their two draft picks — Nos. 29 and 41 — and a desire in “purchasing” another pick.
But King and Yormark made no mention of Williams and Johnson — omissions that can be taken as an ominous sign for the duo. It’s unclear if either Williams or Johnson has requested a trade.
In the letter, King and Yormark wrote the owner “is 100 percent dedicated to delivering a winning product on the court.”
In their minds, the Nets see Deron Williams and Joe Johnson playing elsewhere. In reality, Johnson is owed $25 million next season, while Williams is still owed $43 million over the next two years.
Good luck with that.
