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The Nets locked up Cam Johnson to a long-term deal within the first hour of free agency on Friday night.
Johnson agreed to a four-year, $108 million contract to stay in Brooklyn.
The deal was first reported by ESPN, and confirmed by The Post.
“I’ve really come to appreciate the people here and that means a tremendous amount to me,” Johnson said before entering free agency. “I haven’t made any decisions business-wise yet, but I definitely have factors I’m considering and I am warming up to New York, certainly.”
Brooklyn clearly warmed up to him.
After acquiring Johnson — along with Mikal Bridges and a trove of first-round draft picks — from Phoenix in return for Kevin Durant, the Nets had signaled that holding onto the sweet-shooting forward was the top priority in free agency.
This contract shows it.
“Cam knows how we feel. We hope he’s back. But he’s going to have decisions to make,” Nets general manager Sean Marks had said. “He’s a big priority for us. There’s no question there.”
Extending Johnson a qualifying offer on Wednesday made him a restricted free agent, allowing Brooklyn to match any offer sheets from another team.
But just like he did with starting center Nic Claxton a year ago, Marks never let things get that far with Johnson.
Largely expected to get a four-year, $90 million deal that matched Bridges’ pact, Johnson’s market started to explode into the nine-figure range.
“I know a lot of people probably want him on different teams. I just tell him, ‘I know money and this and that, but just know where I want you. And you can’t leave your twin!’ ” Bridges told The Post. “But he knows. He knows that I never want him to go. And I hope that he stays and they offer him a really good deal. Get my boy paid and go from there.”
Johnson got paid, and also gets to stay in Brooklyn, playing alongside his close friend Bridges. That played a role in his desire to stay.
“Yeah, I’d say so,” Johnson had said of Bridges. “That’s my twin — I haven’t played an NBA game without him, literally — the guy I came into the league alongside of and somebody I’ve grown close to. I value those people in my life and he’s a good teammate. So the continued opportunity to play with him is going to be very important.”
The Nets’ messaging of a willingness to match all reasonable offers for Johnson may have scared some suitors off.
Houston has been linked with Johnson, but opted to change directions and reportedly go after Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.
And while Johnson had been Detroit’s No. 1 target, a curious Pistons move actually took them out of the running. Trading for another Net — forward Joe Harris — chewed up their cap space.
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Now Brooklyn keeps a key piece of the Durant deal.
Johnson boosted his scoring average to 16.6 per game for the Nets, and 18.5 in the playoffs on 42.9 percent shooting from deep.
The 6-foot-8 forward can space the floor, defend and is just entering his prime.
Yuta Watanabe, meanwhile, departed for a free-agent deal with the Suns.
After shooting a career-high 44.4 percent from 3-point range, the Japanese forward will have a reunion with Durant in Phoenix.
The Nets will send rookie draftees Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson to Las Vegas Summer League. David Duke Jr. — an unrestricted free agent after Brooklyn declined to tender him a qualifying offer — will join them.
Adonis Arms, Armoni Brooks, Kennedy Chandler, RaiQuan Gray (who spent last season with G-League Long Island), Jordan Hall, Kameron Hankerson, Matt Lewis, Trey McGowens, Nick Perkins and Jamorko Pickett make up the rest of the roster.
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