Despite rumors that came out about the Utah Jazz and James Johnson having mutual interest in a possible deal, the Miami Heat remain as the favorites to re-sign him this summer.

According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, the 30-year-old Wake Forest product is inching closer to striking a deal with the Heat which will make him continue his career in South Beach.

Johnson is coming off his best season in the NBA, where he averaged career-highs of 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, to go along with 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He has emerged as one of the most important players for his team, and helped turn around their season by winning 30 of their last 41 games, and only missing out on the playoffs due to a tie breaker.

After only signing a one-year contract last year, he is expected to ink a longer deal this time as he has found his niche with the Heat. He’s also been vocal in the past about being a fan of the team’s culture, which helped him get into better shape.

Should the Heat be successful in re-signing him, he is expected to receive a lot of playing time once again, and will be relied upon to provide the team with plenty of hustle and athletic plays, which was the norm whenever he was on the court for them this past season.