It is no secret that Joe Johnson wanted to play for a title contender this season as his career begins to wane away. After being traded from the Utah Jazz to the Sacramento Kings in a mini blockbuster, the Kings will give Johnson his wish.
The Houston Rockets and Joe Johnson have already agreed upon a deal once he is officially bought out. Johnson will clear waivers on Monday afternoon and will be eligible to sign immediately. Johnson is the second player to commit to signing with Rockets out of the buyout market, along with Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandan Wright.
Johnson had played a minor role off the bench for the Jazz this season, averaging 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds. He is shooting 42.0 percent from the field and a career-low 27.4 percent from beyond the arc. These are not great numbers, but the Utah Jazz offense struggled mightily early in the season. With guards like James Harden and Chris Paul, Johnson’s expected role will be to come off the bench and shoot threes.
As we saw in last year’s playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers, Johnson is still capable of being devastating in ISO offense, as well as hitting clutch shots. He has played in 112 career postseason games, so experience is not a problem for this man. With his addition, the Rockets are gearing up for an all out war with the Golden State Warriors, as they continue to bring in great reserves.
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