Raptors bench swingman Stanley Johnson has been ruled out of commission for tonight’s bout against the Hornets due to a stress reaction in his groin, per Blake Murphy of The Athletic (via Twitter).
The Johnson injury has cleared a path for the team to recall 6’7″ two-way rookie wing Oshae Brissett from Toronto’s G-League affiliate, Raptors 905, for tonight’s contest. Murphy indicates that the team anticipates Johnson to sit for two weeks as he recovers.
The No. 8 pick in 2015, Johnson was signed to a two-year, $7.5MM deal with Toronto in July after wings Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green vacated the premises in free agency. Johnson played his first 3 1/2 seasons on the Pistons before being dealt to the Bucks and then the Pelicans just ahead of the 2018/19 season’s trade deadline.
Johnson has been unable to crack the Raptors’ forward rotation. He has appeared in just five games with Toronto, averaging 3.8 minutes. In a follow-up tweet, The Sports Network’s Josh Lewenberg reports being told that Johnson has not been “100%” healthy this entire season. For his career, Johnson has averaged 6.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.5 APG.
Disappointing news – always thought Johnson had some potential. Has strong defensive skills and thought he might fit into that type of role that Stacy Augmon turned into a career. Hope he comes back but fear this might be the first step in the Raptors showing him the door. If so maybe he can hook up with another U of A guy (Luke Walton) in Sacramento.