Amir Johnson, Boston Celtics forward/center, has had an up-and-down season for the Massachusetts-based team. Although he was a starter for 77 games in the regular season, the big-man was a non-factor in the playoffs, as he started only nine out of 18 games, not even registering a minute in four of them.
While injuries have been an issue as well, Johnson has not fit in well with the Boston Celtics and with so many young forwards and centers coming to the Celtics in the imminent future — among which are Croatian Ante Žižić and Frenchman Guerschon Yabusele — paying Johnson is hardly even a possibility.
However, if Boston will not have him, he knows a team that will — Toronto. The Raptors are the team Johnson played for before signing with the Celtics, and he was a face incredibly liked in the Great White North. He really fit in well with the Toronto culture, and Sporting News reports that there is mutual interest for this signing to happen.
As already mentioned, Johnson fit in with the city and the fanbase in general, participating in the local Zombie Walk and hosting a famous party for his Canadian fans named “I Roll With Amir.”
However, money could be an issue for both sides. It is not yet known how much money Johnson will seek, but we know the situation in Toronto. Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka are the main focuses for free agency, but also P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson are important for the team. With just $30 million in cap space and being around $50 million under the luxury tax, someone will not play in Toronto next year.
Amir Johnson, however, will probably not worry too much about it, as there are a lot of teams interested in his services. He is a solid player, hard-nosed rebounder and a very good shot blocker, and he has shown at times that he can be a good shooter. He is a good mid-range shooter and generally, for someone in need of a strong presence under the rim, Johnson might be the way to go.
When he left Toronto two years ago, he said this: “It is not a goodbye, but more of a see you later.” Will that mysterious “later” be next season? We will find out this summer.
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