Chaney Johnson has made a strong case in Las Vegas by doing the little things and the hard things for Brooklyn.
The Nets forward has been a utility piece all Summer League, bouncing between spots, bringing energy on defense and producing on the scoreboard. Through four games, Johnson is averaging 15 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals. His biggest outing came in Brooklyn’s 83-76 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, when he put up 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and added five steals.
That kind of all-around impact has not gone unnoticed by Nets Summer League coach Dutch Gaitley, who has leaned on Johnson’s willingness to adapt whenever the lineup has needed a different look.
“If we needed Chaney to play point guard, Chaney would play point guard," Gaitley said. "He does whatever is called for the team.
He’s an outstanding teammate. He plays as hard as anybody on the court.
I think he’s got a really bright future.”
Gaitley has even gone so far as to ask Johnson to play center, a tough assignment for a 6-foot-7 forward. It’s not a natural fit, and Johnson knows it. Still, he has embraced the job without making excuses.
Johnson said he hangs his hat on playing hard and controlling what he can control. Playing out of position is out of his control, but he will rise to the call when asked to.
“It’s whatever gets me paid, you know what I’m saying?" Johnson said.
"I’ll do whatever it takes. So whatever the team needs, I’m there.”
Brooklyn already showed some belief in him by extending a two-way qualifying offer on June 27, then getting him to sign it two days later. Johnson appeared in 17 games last season and averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 54.3% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc.
He also logged 24 games with the Long Island Nets, where he posted 14.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists while adding 1.5 steals and one block per game. Long Island is set to have him again next season, though that may not be where he stays.
His Summer League play suggests he may be ready for more than the 17 NBA games he got last season. Brooklyn could keep him in 50 NBA games before sending him back to the G League for the rest of the year, or he could earn a standard contract.
Malachi Smith followed that route after two 10-day contracts before being cut once the Julius Randle four-team trade became official, and that gives Johnson a clear example of how a two-way player can push his way into a more permanent role.
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Randle did not sugarcoat the challenge ahead, and that is part of what makes his voice matter for a team trying to climb back into relevance. Brooklyn is still leaning into development while trying to add real structure around its younger pieces, and Randles arrival gives the Nets a more established presence as they try to turn potential into something sturdier, even if the next step may be more incremental than dramatic. [Read more 🡒]
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His rsum includes All-America Second Team and All-Big 12 First Team honors, plus a standout 2025-26 season that put him in rare company nationwide. Jefferson led Division I in triple-doubles and set a Big 12 mark for multiple triple-doubles in conference play, the kind of production that gives the Nets a different sort of frontcourt option as they continue shaping the roster around their latest wave of talent. [Read more 🡒]
Joshua Jefferson Just Got His First Real Nets Test
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For Jefferson, it was also his first competitive game since March after an injury interrupted his spring and kept him from even getting practice reps. He sounded confident about how his game can translate into Brooklyns rotation, especially with the way he sees the floor and keeps the ball moving, but the bigger question is where that skill set fits once the roster is set and the minutes start getting divided up. [Read more 🡒]