Amir Johnson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Jones, Hernangomez

October 19th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Amir Johnson‘s production fell off last season with the Raptors, but the Celtics regard their free agent signee as a steal, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge is enamored with his versatility and the way he can complement any of the team’s other big men, as Forsberg notes. Johnson is just as sold on his new home.

“I like the vision, I like that we are young, and I like what they did last season coming into the playoffs,” Johnson said. “I felt like they were doing their best to get better. Just talking to [Celtics president of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge] and [coach Brad] Stevens, I love what they got going on here.”

See more on the Celtics amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

Stevens distanced himself from roster decisions, but he complemented Perry Jones III, who’s on the chopping block as the Celtics must offload at least one fully guaranteed salary to trim to the 15-man regular season roster limit within the week, relays Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. “I think the biggest thing for Perry is, Perry has a chance to be a very, very good multi-positional defender, and he’s got a chance to be a guy that can play off closeouts, make shots or post switches,” Stevens said. “So being able to do those things regularly is a huge key. But I’ve been impressed with what Perry can do, what he has done, especially in practice.”
Knicks draft-and-stash prospect Guillermo Hernangomez wants to play for Real Madrid of Spain for many years before considering a move to the NBA, as he said to Emilio V. Escudero of ABC.es (translation via HoopsHype). An earlier report indicated that the Knicks were planning to sign him before the 2016/17 season. New York acquired the NBA rights to the 6’11” center via trade after the Sixers selected him 35th overall in June.
The Sixers‘ rebuilding process is enduring criticism, but even though GM Sam Hinkie has presided over three offseasons, it’s still too early to judge the success of his plan because so many of the assets he’s acquired are for the future, opines Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.

Atlantic Notes: Reed, Sixers, Antetokounmpo

October 16th, 2015 at 9:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets big man Willie Reed underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb, the team announced. Reed is one of seven Brooklyn players without a fully guaranteed deal, but the Nets would have be required pay him until he’s healthy, even if they waived him. He is expected to be out of action for a period of six to eight weeks.

Here’s more from out of the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers’ point guard situation is unsettled, and thanks to injuries to Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten, it is likely to remain that way after the regular season tips off, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “They are a ways away” from playing in games, coach Brett Brown said. “I feel like you always get nervous about throwing out dates. I think it would be fair to say that we are not going to see Kendall for the month of October and beyond. I hope not much further beyond. And Tony [will be sidelined] further along after that, probably not until sometime in December.“
Thanasis Antetokounmpo maintains that he won’t accept a D-League assignment from New York if he doesn’t make the Knicks‘ regular season roster, and he hopes that another NBA team will show interest if he is waived, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “First off, hopefully things works out here,’’ Antetokounmpo told Berman. “If they don’t, hopefully another NBA team. That’s the first goal. And after that, we’ll see. Hopefully everything goes well. I don’t want to think about it now. I can control what I can control — being positive and optimistic.’’ The swingman’s agents have also been in contact with overseas clubs, Berman adds.
Amir Johnson, who inked a two year, $24MM deal with the Celtics this offseason, is impressing the team’s coaching staff with his play on both ends of the court, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders notes. “He just knows how to play both ends,” coach Brad Stevens said of Johnson. “He makes easy plays with the ball, and then on the defensive end, he makes everyone better.”

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Jerebko, Johnson

October 1st, 2015 at 5:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov declined to discuss Deron Williams when asked about the team’s former player by reporters, but he instead took the time to praise the team’s projected starting point guard, Jarrett Jack, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “I will say in that way that we have a great leader at point guard in Jarrett Jack,” Prokhorov said. “All the league knows what Jarrett is about.” Prokhorov then added, “I will say that I discussed all the player moves with [GM] Billy [King], and I signed off on all of them.” Williams and the team reached a buyout arrangement back in July.

Prokhorov also admitted that his expectations for the team have changed, but he did note that he was pleased with the overall direction of the franchise, Bontemps adds. “I think Billy has made great deals to give us top players, and if the stars [had aligned] correctly, we might have seen better results,” Prokhorov said of the team’s all-in moves in the past. “But we are still committed. We have a younger, more athletic team, and we have great flexibility to go on.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

When asked why the Knicks‘ roster is so frontcourt heavy, coach Derek Fisher said that wasn’t the initial intent, but the team was surprised that center Kevin Seraphin was still available late into the free agent signing period, and he was too good to pass up, Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal relays (Twitter links).
Jonas Jerebko‘s versatility as a player should allow him to maintain a prominent role for the Celtics despite their overcrowded frontcourt, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The 28-year-old forward re-signed with Boston over the summer on a two-year, $10MM deal.
The Raptors will miss Amir Johnson, who’d served as a mentor to DeMar DeRozan since the shooting guard entered the league, Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun writes. “Once you are somewhere with a person for that long that you have a long history with, that is definitely tough to replace,” DeRozan said. “It takes time to get that back and gain that back from an individual. That’s a big part of it. But we’re going to miss a lot without him. Just his attitude and demeanor, being a great guy and a great teammate, that rubs off on people. He will definitely be missed.” Johnson departed as a free agent and signed with the Celtics this offseason.

Eastern Notes: Harris, Celtics, Napier

September 27th, 2015 at 9:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Tobias Harris, who re-signed with the Magic for a four-year deal worth $64MM, does not fear he will press and try too hard to justify his new contract, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Harris also wants to be the team’s leader, Schmitz adds.

“It doesn’t change me or my game. I don’t play the game just for the paycheck. I play for the love and the love of winning,” Harris told Schmitz. “When I signed my deal, the next day I was back in the gym, working just as hard. It’s no time to go out and celebrate crazy. I’m blessed enough to be in this position. It drives me. It just shows me if you want another one, you have to work twice as hard.”

Here’s more on the Magic and the Eastern Conference:

Shabazz Napier, whom the Magic acquired in a trade with the Heat, believes that contrary to what he initially heard, his new teammates have a “winning mentality,” Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel relays.
Amir Johnson, whom the Celtics signed to a two-year deal worth $24MM, has already impressed Boston coach Brad Stevens because of his versatility, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes. That’s a good sign for Johnson, in terms of minutes, because the Celtics have a logjam at the power forward position, Forsberg adds.
Speaking of the Celtics, the team needs to find another reliable, high-impact scorer besides Isaiah Thomas, opines A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Celtics were the only team in the playoffs last year whose No. 2 scorer (Avery Bradley) averaged less than 14 points per game, Blakely points out.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Johnson, Crawford

August 21st, 2015 at 6:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers center Joel Embiid underwent a second surgical procedure on his injured right foot this week, and he is expected to miss the entire 2015/16 campaign as a result. While the news that the 2014 No. 3 overall pick will miss his second consecutive campaign is bad enough, there’s also a strong chance that Embiid will also miss the beginning of the 2016/17 season, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (video link), with a hat tip to Chris Walder of TheScore.com.

“Talking to my sources, they want to see him return around October – not this October, but the next October, for that season,” Pompey said. “And he may not even return for the start of that season. He may miss a couple games. But that’s their goal.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors will miss Amir Johnson ‘s intangibles and hustle this season, with the forward having signed a two-year, $24MM pact with the Celtics this offseason, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. “He went from a role player to a very big piece of what we were doing,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of his former player. “He became the core of what we were doing in Toronto. We went from a young, up and coming team to grow. We’ll miss his leadership, his toughness. He has a quiet toughness about him that we will miss with our team.”
The Knicks reportedly have interest in acquiring Jamal Crawford from the Clippers, and Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders believes that landing Crawford would take additional pressure off of Carmelo Anthony on the perimeter and also provide good spacing for the entire Knicks offense overall. Greene also notes that trading for the guard wouldn’t have a negative impact on the Knicks’ salary cap since Crawford is in the final season of his current deal.

And-Ones: Brooks, Contracts, Spurs

August 5th, 2015 at 10:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the bulk of the offseason free agent signings in the rearview, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders examined whom he believes to be the best values amongst the free agent contracts doled out this Summer. The Cavs‘ re-signing LeBron James snagged the top spot, but Pincus also is a fan of the Celtics inking Amir Johnson, David West signing with the Spurs, and Brandan Wright‘s pact with the Grizzlies. The Basketball Insiders scribe notes that the best aspect of Johnson’s deal with Boston is that the second year is non-guaranteed, making him a potentially valuable trade chip next season.

Here’s more from around the league:

MarShon Brooks, who last played in the NBA with the Lakers during the 2013/14 season, has signed with the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link).
The Rockets sent the Nuggets $440k as part of the trade for Ty Lawson, and the Thunder forked over $1.5MM to the Celtics as part of the trade for Perry Jones III, Pincus relays (Twitter links).
Danny Green believes that the combination of the Spurs signing free agent LaMarcus Aldridge, and re-signing both Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan, will likely keep coach Gregg Popovich from retiring in the near future, Mike Monroe of The San Antonio Express News relays. “Without LaMarcus and Kawhi I think he’s out the door when Timmy [Duncan] leaves,” Green said. “Them being here I think extends his tenure just a little bit longer. Pop loves the game, obviously. I don’t see him stepping away fully. Even if he ever did he’d always be in the front office, or around or something.”

Celtics Notes: Lee, Crowder, Johnson

July 28th, 2015 at 5:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

After finalizing five transactions on Monday, the Celtics now have 17 guaranteed contracts on the books, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes in his latest piece. There were rumblings that the team intended to release Zoran Dragic, whom they acquired on Monday, but a source told Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel that the team wouldn’t rule out attempting to trade Dragic for another asset.

Here’s more out of Boston:

Both David Lee and Golden State knew it was time to move on and Warriors executives worked with Lee to find a suitable fit, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe writes. “I think that the way David handles himself as a pro, and the way we’ve tried to do business with the Warriors, hopefully people give you the benefit of the doubt and want to help you find a win-win situation,” said Lee’s agent, Mark Bartelstein. “And so they tried to do the right thing, and I think that’s what happened here.”
Although Lee and the Celtics agree that a short-term partnership could be mutually beneficial, it has the potential to blossom into something more, Himmelsbach writes in the same piece. “I’m excited for it now,” Lee said. “I don’t know why I wouldn’t be after this season. I have no future plans other than just competing this year and figuring that out. Once again, I had some options and places to go a couple of weeks ago. I was overwhelmed and thrilled when [the Celtics] called and said, ‘We really want to have you here.’ And I was hyped to do it.”
Jae Crowder did his homework before re-signing with the Celtics, Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com writes. “I wanted to know everything,” Crowder said. “What’s the direction? You ask everybody. You ask questions, so that’s what I did . . . I don’t like losing. I had to ask. I had to ask our direction moving forward. And [Ainge] responded well, as you can see. I’m pleased with the guys that we brought in and the guys we picked up. And the moves we’re still trying to make.”
Amir Johnson hopes to become a fan favorite in Boston, Toscano writes in a separate piece. “I’m a team player, I’m a hustler . . . I play hard every game. So I know the fans will definitely love me. I know they’re great fans. I know back in the Detroit days, I’ve seen how rowdy they can get. So I know Boston loves their team for sure,” Johnson said.

Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Dellavedova, Ellis

July 15th, 2015 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Scout Clarence Gaines believed the Knicks should have taken Kristaps Porzingis first overall if they had won the draft lottery, Knicks GM Steve Mills said Monday on MSG Network, as Marc Berman of the New York Post relays. Mills and team president Phil Jackson weren’t quite ready to do that, Berman notes, but the Knicks dropped to fourth in the lottery and took Porzingis with that selection. Mills said he noticed Guillermo Hernangomez, the 35th overall pick whose rights New York acquired in a deal put together on draft night, on a scouting trip to see Porzingis, as Berman details, adding that the Knicks plan to sign Hernangomez in time for the 2016/17 season.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

There hasn’t been much progress made between restricted free agent Matthew Dellavedova and the Cavaliers, Chris Mannix of SI.com notes. The point guard is seeking a multiyear deal at around $4MM per season, Mannix relays, and Cleveland is reluctant to commit to that amount due to the luxury tax implications. Former Nets executive Bobby Marks (Twitter links) notes that even a $4MM annual commitment for Dellavedova would equate to that of a max salary player due to the approximate $14MM tax hit inking the guard would generate.
Celtics executive Danny Ainge views offseason additions David Lee and Amir Johnson as veterans who can help the team’s younger players grow, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald writes. “Veteran players teach young players how to play, how to live, how to make it through the rough times of a season,” Ainge said. “And they make young players better by their presence on the court. So it’s not always just about getting minutes for young players, although minutes are important in the process of development. But it’s also important for veterans to show the young players the way to play. Brandon Bass was a good guy to have on the team. You ask any good player in the NBA about the people who’ve had a positive impact on their careers and most every one of them will say some veteran that they played with as a youngster.”
Monta Ellis was sold on joining the Pacers when team executive Larry Bird told him he was the missing piece in the team’s championship puzzle, Michael Marot of The Associated Press writes. “He said all the right things,” Ellis said after signing his four-year, $44MM deal. “It was an easy choice. It made me feel great because they wanted me.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Afflalo, Nets

July 12th, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Amir Johnson signed a two-year, $24MM deal with the Celtics because Boston president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was the first person to phone him at midnight on July 1st. Johnson also was lured because he learned how much of a good fit the team believes he will be in the offense, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes.

“I love the way they approached me during [free agency],” Johnson said. “Nine o’clock, Pacific Time, Boston was the first one to call. Danny Ainge called me first then coach [Brad] Stevens. They approached me well. They respect the type of player I am. And they gave me a number and it was a no-brainer from there.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Johnson also told Forsberg how much he liked the idea of the Celtics adding David Lee, who the team is set to acquire. “Very versatile big, kind of like me, runs the floor, great pick-and-roll guy,” said Johnson. “I definitely think he’ll fit into the system, just like me. I think it’ll be a more fast-paced team.”
Arron Afflalo made it clear to the Nuggets at the trade deadline that he preferred to play with the Knicks and is very happy to be with New York now, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Despite his preference, Afflalo was dealt to the Blazers. He opted out from the Blazers in June and later signed a two-year, $16MM deal with the Knicks. “We told Denver the Knicks were where he wanted to be,’’ said Afflalo’s agent Sam Goldfeder. “Portland was never mentioned.’’
Deron Williams leaves the Nets as perhaps the single-most forgettable would-be superstar in the history of New York sports, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post opines. Brooklyn waived the former All-Star Saturday after years of declining performance. Williams differs from other failed stars, Vaccaro writes, because it seemed like the Dallas-native never truly wanted to play for the Nets, even when the team signed him to a $99MM max extension in July 2012.
Nets guard Jarrett Jack told reporters, including Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News, that he is ready to step in and start at point guard in place of Williams. “If that’s the position they want me to fill, I’m definitely very ready to do so,” Jack said. “It’s not my first rodeo as far as being thrust into the [starter’s] role if that were to be the case. So it’s something that’s not foreign to me and [I’m] definitely ready for the challenge.”

Celtics Sign Amir Johnson

July 9th, 2015 at 7:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

NBA: Toronto Raptors at Minnesota Timberwolves

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 9TH, 7:58pm: The signing is official, the Celtics announced. Since it’s not a sign-and-trade, and the amount is too large to fit within the mid-level exception, that means Boston is using cap space and has lost its long list of trade exceptions, including one worth $12,909,090 left over from the Rajon Rondo trade.

3:47pm: The second year is non-guaranteed, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).

JULY 1ST, 2:36pm: The Celtics and Amir Johnson have agreed to a deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). It’ll be worth $24MM over two years, a fairly significant outlay. The incumbent Raptors, as well as the Knicks, Celtics, Mavericks, Pacers, Lakers and Spurs also expressed interest in the Kevin Bradbury client, as Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reported earlier (on Twitter).

Chris Mannix of SI.com reported Tuesday that Boston was expected to show interest. Johnson said in 2013 that he wanted to play for Toronto the rest of his career, but declining numbers this past season seemed to make that proposition less likely.