Nets promote BJ Johnson to assistant GM

The Brooklyn Nets are promoting B.J. Johnson to assistant general manager, the NBA team announced Wednesday. Johnson joined the Nets in 2016, shortly after the arrival of general manager Sean Marks.

He served as coordinator of player development before being promoted to senior director of college scouting and player evaluation.

BJ Johnson spent 11 years with USA Basketball before joining the Brooklyn Nets

Additionally, Johnson spent 11 years with USA Basketball, including seven years as an assistant director of the men’s national team. He has worked with all levels of USA Basketball men’s teams.

His primary goal was to develop a U.S. junior national basketball team program.

According to Johnson’s biography, he attended Villanova University, where he was a member of the men’s basketball team. He graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a minor in Chinese.

BJ Johnson has been promoted to deputy general manager.

More perks and promotions in the front office → https://t.co/n0AYzsiDYU pic.twitter.com/Z352fP8HpN

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 4, 2024

In April, Marks suggested Johnson could be considered for a promotion after assistant general manager Jeff Peterson and executive director of basketball and business operations Ryan Gisriel left to take positions with the Charlotte Hornets.

Peterson has served as the Nets’ assistant general manager since 2019, while Gisriel has served in a number of front office roles since joining the team as an intern during the 2013-14 season.

“I think some of our guys have done a great job,” Marks said earlier this offseason. “As far as the draft itself, I mean, you want to take B.J. Johnson.

“BJ is running our project and has been doing that for the last few years. So there will be more pressure and more responsibility on a few guys here.”

Johnson is largely credited with convincing Brooklyn’s front office to acquire Nic Claxton and Jalen Wilson.

According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, in his new role, Johnson will lead and oversee all of the Nets’ scouting efforts. A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Johnson will work directly under Marks and alongside assistant GM Andy Birdsong.

Johnson is credited with much of the credit for convincing the Nets to select players such as Nic Claxton (2019) and Jalen Wilson (2023) in the second round of the draft.

“It’s great to find a guy in college, and I give our draft process a lot of credit,” Marks said recently. “B.J. Johnson has been leading it the last couple of years. (He) did a great job evaluating and finding Nic and being able to draft Nic where we did.”

Brooklyn’s front office has already made a series of additions and promotions to its basketball operations department this offseason, and two other internal moves for the Nets come to mind.

Makar Gevorkian has been promoted to vice president of basketball operations coordination and strategic planning. Glenn DuPaul has also been promoted to vice president of basketball analytics.