Veteran small forward Joe Johnson has agreed a one-year deal with the Detroit Pistons, having been named MVP of the Big3 and leading the Triplets to the league championship this season.
Johnson, 38, has put pen-to-paper on a $2.6m contract with an initial $220,000 guaranteed. The full figure will be activated after January 7 next year, provided he’s still part of Dwane Casey’s team past that date.
They will be waiving veteran forward Michael Beasley as part of their agreement, having previously agreed a similar deal with the 30-year-old last month.
Having impressed during his Big3 stint, Joe attracted interest aplenty in his services as a reliable veteran that is capable of providing a reliable scoring option off the substitutes’ bench and potentially more.
Iso Joe has averaged 16 points, four rebounds and three assists per game in 17 NBA seasons, while his last stint was with two teams during the 2017/18 campaign – the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets, where averaging 6.8 points and 3.1 assists per game in 21 minutes of action.
Johnson in action for the Rockets against the Utah Jazz
Johnson was quoted as saying the following: “I never wanted to take a year off. “The situation with me in Houston, it kind of dampened what I wanted to continue to do. With me not playing in the postseason at 37, they were like something must be wrong with him.”
His arrival is sure to be welcome news for All-Star power forward Blake Griffin, who averaged a career-high 24.5 points per game last term: spearheading his teammates to the eighth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. They were ultimately blown out in four games against ECF finalists Milwaukee Bucks, but will be hoping for a better showing with a weaker playing field.
He’s a 37% shooter from distance and throughout his successful career to date, averaging 44% total FG too. Andre Drummond (17.3 points, 15.6 rpg) Reggie Jackson (15.4 ppg) and summer recruit Derrick Rose (18 ppg) are all capable scoring options who will undoubtedly be enthused by the veteran’s locker room presence.
Information source: ESPN and Bobby Marks
