Stanley Johnson has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Toronto Raptors in free agency, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Free agent Stanley Johnson has agreed to a two-year, $7.5M deal with the Toronto Raptors, with a player option in the second season, agent Nima Namakian of BDA Sports tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 6, 2019
The No. 8 overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pustons, Johnson has struggled to find his footing over his first four seasons in the NBA. He flashed as a rookie defending LeBron James in the first round of the playoffs, showing off a rare combination of strength and quickness, but has yet to develop into the type of impactful defensive player – both on and off the ball – that renders his offensive woes less consequential.
Not a shooter throughout a decorated high-school career or during his lone season at the University of Arizona, Johnson fell out of the rotation with the Detroit Pistons in 2018-19 for the most part due to his complete inability to keep defenses honest from beyond the arc. That's a huge problem for modern-day forwards, one that led to Johnson playing an even more minor role after he was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans at the trade deadline. He averaged 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 18.3 minutes per game last season, shooting 38.9 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from beyond the arc.
There's still a chance Johnson develops into a meaningful contributor, as evidenced by the parameters of his contract with Toronto. At 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, he has the physical tools to capably defend four positions in a switch-heavy scheme, and is more comfortable with the ball in his hands than his career to this point suggests. He's also still just 23. And the Raptors, of course, have big hole to fill on the wing now that Kawhi Leonard returned home to the LA Clippers, clearing a path for Johnson to see the floor.
Follow Us
Subscribe