Free agent forward Joe Johnson is in Detroit today to work out for the Pistons, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).
Johnson’s workout with the Pistons had been expected, as a report last week indicated that the NBA veteran, who has already worked out for the Sixers, would also audition for the Pistons, Bucks and Nets. However, Frank Isola of The Athletic provides some new info, suggesting during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio today that he has heard Detroit is the frontrunner to sign Johnson (Twitter link via Noah Coslov).
As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), there’s a connection between Johnson and Detroit — the 38-year-old used to be represented by former agent Arn Tellem, who is now the Pistons’ vice chairman. Additionally, there could still be a regular season roster up for grabs in Detroit, since the team is carrying just 14 players on guaranteed contracts. Christian Wood and Michael Beasley are currently expected to compete for the 15th and final roster spot.
After not playing in the NBA during the 2018/19 season, Johnson joined Ice Cube‘s BIG3 league this summer and excelled in the 3-on-3 format. He was named the BIG3’s MVP after leading the league in points and assists, capping off a dominant summer-long run by scoring 28 of his team’s 50 points in the championship game.
While the competition in the BIG3 obviously isn’t on the same level as in the NBA, Johnson’s impressive performance in the league has generated interest among a handful of teams who view him as a potential scorer off the bench.
I think Iso Joe deserves a spot somewhere but not over Wood or Beasley.
What are the Pistons in the lead for exactly, signing a has-been?
How many rings do Russ and Harden have? Oh yeah, zero. Same as Joe. They must be has beens too.
Iso Joe is 38. Russ is 30, and Harden just turned 30 two weeks ago. Nice try.
And Joe Jesus will be the first one with digs in Canton.
Wrong! Iso has a BIG3 ring ;)
Agreed…the title made me laugh.
I guess the Pistons have some awesome Bingo nights.