This year’s trade deadline reshaped much of the NBA, but the Nets remain unchanged.
They stood pat, holding on to Cam Johnson as expected.
Despite Johnson having his name thrown into incessant trade rumors — linked at various times to the Warriors, Pacers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Lakers and Thunder — The Post had reported all week that he wasn’t being shopped and was unlikely to be dealt.
The deadline came and went at 3 p.m. Thursday, and Johnson was still a Net. Starting center Nic Claxton and backup Day’Ron Sharpe are, too, despite Sharpe drawing interest over the past week.
Other front offices reached out to general manager Sean Marks, but none came up with a concrete offer to convince the Nets to move Johnson.
“If I felt the need to go speak to him about something, or I catch wind of something that I want to bring up to [Marks], then I will,” Johnson had told The Post. “He has a job to do. I have a job to do. And that’s what I’m focused on right now.
“And right now, my job is to play for this team and to contribute to this team and to try to do all those things. And his job is to manage the group. So I’m not [worried]. If there’s something that I need to know, then I trust he’ll tell me, my agent will tell me. And [I’m] going from there.”
Johnson isn’t going anywhere … at least not this season.
The forward is enjoying a mid-career breakthrough, averaging 19.3 points on sterling .488/.417/.902 shooting splits.
On a team-friendly descending contract that will count just 13 percent against the salary cap the next two seasons, the Nets certainly could revisit moving Johnson on draft night or in the summer.
And at just 28 years old, he’s still young enough that he could be part of their team should they aim for a shorter rebuild.
While some tank-happy fans wanted to see Johnson moved simply on the hopes of moving up in the lottery standings, Toronto’s trade for Brandon Ingram could help the Nets catch the Raptors for fifth in the lottery odds.
But the Nets weren’t shopping Johnson and were going to have to be offered a significant return to change their minds.
Three second-round picks appeared to be the going rate for solid veterans, a point that was driven home several times at this deadline.
Clearly, Johnson has more value than that to the Nets.
Marks — who has never picked inside the top 20 — spent Wednesday at Rutgers scouting three potential lottery picks.
Dylan Harper returned from injury with 28 points, and Ace Bailey added 18 points and 11 rebounds in RU’s 82-73 win over Illinois.
Harper helped hold Kasparas Jakucionis to just seven points and two assists on 2-for-8 shooting with three turnovers.
It was at least Marks’ fifth trip to Piscataway. He also recently scouted Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe and BYU’s Egor Demin.
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