SEPTEMBER 7: Johnson’s deal, which is now official, is non-guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
SEPTEMBER 6: The Bulls have agreed to a deal with free agent forward Stanley Johnson, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). While Charania’s report doesn’t include contract details, a minimum-salary agreement seems likely.
Johnson, the eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft, began his NBA career in Detroit before being traded to New Orleans in 2019. He then played for the Raptors for two years from 2019-21, earning a spot in the team’s regular rotation this past season.
Johnson’s 2020/21 numbers (4.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, .382/.328/.800 shooting) in 61 games for Toronto don’t exactly jump off the page, but he proved he can be a useful depth piece at the NBA level by providing energy and defensive versatility off the bench.
A report last week linked Johnson to Brooklyn, noting that the veteran free agent had been working out around some Nets players and staffers. However, Brooklyn faces a roster crunch after reaching deals to sign Paul Millsap and LaMarcus Aldridge and acquiring Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor, so it would’ve been hard to find room for Johnson.
Instead, Johnson will join a Chicago team that only features 13 players on standard contracts, plus Devon Dotson on a two-way pact. We’ll have to wait for the terms on the 25-year-old’s deal to get a better idea of how he fits into the Bulls’ plans, but for now he looks like a good bet to claim a spot on the club’s 15-man regular season squad.
Okay, another versatile defender whose lanky. I like this. It allows us to go small ball and out DDR or Williams’ at the 4. I’m sure there will be a few rotations with Vu at the 4 while Bradley is the 5. I’m not really upset with this signing. I think they figure out the backup 4 after the season starts.
He is 25 and should be ready to blossom. I think Donavan will know how to use it him at 4. We shall see. Should be a interesting year in Chicago.
If he can provide steady defense on the perimeter and improve his IQ as a basketball player. I’m happy with this signing. He can still get up and run the floor. We needed more athleticism on the wings.
Stanley has lots of talent and there’s still a lot of time for him to be a late bloomers. But…Coach Donovan would be one of the last coach in the league to unearth the unpolished skills set. Stanley should gone to another team like the Spurs or Nuggets as there’s only so many chances left for a weakish shooter.
Agree with you. Only 25 years old and already a seasoned veteran. Has game and is athletic. Good player to have on roster. Somewhat of a duplication of players already on the roster DeRozan, Derrick Jones Jr., Patrick Williams, Troy Brown.
Bulls have three versions of the same guy now…
No, they have just signed a Johnson & Johnson & Thompson, you see? One of them is not entirely like the other two. Close, but not the same.
Neo : tx god they were not thomson and thompson.
Ehh, I won’t ever really.complain about adding a versatile forward that’s a solid defender, but the Bulls really need to add more size and add some scoring to their second unit..
With Bradley, Caruso, Brown, Green, Johnson, Ayo, etc. except for Colby White and Marko Simonovic, the Bulls have plenty of players capable of being solid/versatile defenders.
They’re clearly lacking a scoring punch from the 4 position..Simonovic could prove to be a competent offensive weapon as a backup 5…
we don’t need any more scoring in the second unit, because teams never play the entire second unit without any starter (unless the score differnece in 20-30 points, in which case you don’t need scoring anyway)
see the bucks for example, out of the top 20 5-man combinations not a single one wasn’t using on of their top3 players
the bulls can easily have one of their top3 scorers (ideally derozan) rest earlier than the other 3 and then leading the second unit players
Coby. His name is Coby. Says it right there in basketball reference. Maybe yer confusing him with Kolbe Bryant…
Williams will find his shot. He is already cool as ice from midrange. He will only get better as a shooter.
Stanley Johnson, with the same skills he possesses today, would not have even been a top 10 pick in the 2021 draft. He’s not an nba player.
He’d be a damn good gleague player tho.
Kudos to his agent for doing what an agent is supposed to do… keep his guys employed.
I was with you until you said he isn’t a NBA player and would be a good g-leaguer. He hasn’t lived up to expectations but he is only 25 and he dropped 35 against the bulls a few months back. Wtv personal issues you have against him shouldn’t discredit his abilities.
What abilities?
What abilities?
He had 23 points the 8 games before that and Toronto played with 8 guys that night – without their top 6 scorers. Clearly, even Toronto wasn’t even impressed with that game he had – despite him being only 25 (as if being “only 25” means something). There’s been tons of players who didn’t pan out who, at one time, were “25”. But, no… nothing (personal) against the guy. I just don’t think he’s an NBA player. A couple or three teams agree, as well.
Sorry to offend you with my opinion of his game – or lack thereof.
After moving Thaddeus Young in that bad trade for DeRozan, they needed help at the 4, and this is a good fit. I like everything theu did, besides the DeRozan move. They still need a backup pick and roll defending, rim protecting big, but they should be much improved. Curious to see how they play their rotation though, and how they fit DeRozan in
derozan trade was fine