After buying out the contract of All-Star point guard Deron Williams, reports have emerged that the Brooklyn Nets are planning to keep his fellow All-Star and former backcourt partner Joe Johnson now that the two-time Olympian is headed to Dallas, as per CBS Sports.

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While the move is certainly not a thumbs down to Williams as Brooklyn's roster is surely going to be significantly less talented now that the team only has Jarrett Jack, Steve Blake, and Shane Larkin as point guards, but the Nets need to make a move to open up cap space to give themselves a shot at rebuilding.

Both player's massive contracts had held up Brooklyn's cap for the past three seasons without any results to show, hindering the franchise to make any major adjustments in the roster.

The Nets would have spent around $21 million for Williams this coming season if they had not released him, at the same time Johnson is set to become the second highest paid player in the NBA with $24.9 million.

With the team was drifting in the middle of the weaker Eastern Conference throughout the last couple of years, the combined almost $46 million in salaries was said to be a poor investment for Mikhail Prokhorov and company.

Brooklyn had been dangling both Williams and Johnson as trade baits even before the offseason began, but there were no teams interested to make a deal with them.

However, now that one of the two contracts is already gone, the management reportedly felt that it would be too great a loss to the team if they would let go of Johnson as well, according to Bleacher Report.

The Cavs were rumored to be eyeing Johnson earlier this month as they are reportedly planning to exchange Brendan Haywood's $10 million unguaranteed contract and center Anderson Varejao for the 34-year-old wing man, but speculations and talks quickly dissolved.

Would you welcome Joe Johnson to the Land? pic.twitter.com/QzjAX6UjHz

— Cavs Nation (@CavsNationNet) July 7, 2015

NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk indicated that while Johnson is allegedly not in the long-term plans of the Nets, the team wanted to keep him for now as they will not be tanking for any lottery pick next year.

With the return of a healthy Brook Lopez and the recent acquisition of Thaddeus Young, Johnson and the Nets has the capacity to once again grace the playoffs in the East.

TagsNBA 2015, NBA news, NBA News 2015, NBA rumors, NBA Rumors 2015, NBA Trade Rumors, NBA trade rumors 2015, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams