Chris Johnson (Dayton) Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Sign Chris Johnson To 3-Year Contract

February 7th, 2014 at 9:29pm CST by Cray Allred

9:29pm: Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald tweets that it is a three year deal that’s non-guaranteed after this season.

6:33pm: Chris Johnson‘s pro-rated salary for this year is at about $320K, according to a tweet from ESPN Boston’s Chris Forsberg. That would keep the Celtics shy of paying the luxury tax, which was a consideration factoring into their decision on whether to keep Johnson.

5:54pm: The Celtics have signed Chris Johnson to a multi-year deal, per a team press release. Per team policy, the terms of the deal were not announced, so it isn’t yet known how long the contract will run. The team was considering adding one additional year beyond this season as of yesterday, and that still seems to be the most likely contract length considering Johnson’s lack of leverage to demand more years. For the same reason, it’s also likely that the additional year(s) will be non-guaranteed, which is typical for mid-season, multi-year deals like this one.

The second year small forward had played on two consecutive 10-day contracts for Boston this season, averaging 7.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 21.6 minutes per game, about double the production he had in his eight games with the Grizzlies last year.

Johnson is a client of Pinnacle Management Corp., whose signing gives the Celtics their 14th guaranteed contract out of a maximum 15, a fact that could be significant heading towards the trade deadline. As is, the Celtics could only receive one extra player back as part of a hypothetical trade. That, in addition to their proximity to the tax line, limits their flexibility in working transactions. This would particularly curb deals where they might take a burdensome contract off another team’s books in exchange for draft picks, as they have done with Joel Anthony and the Heat, and last summer’s blockbuster when they absorbed the lengthy, expensive Gerald Wallace contract.

Eastern Notes: Bynum, Bobcats, Woodson

February 6th, 2014 at 10:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bobcats are going to be buyers at the trade deadline, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.com. With the Bobcats having exceeded expectations this season, and with the overall weakness of the Eastern Conference, the team will try and bolster their roster for a playoff push. The team has been actively shopping Ben Gordon‘s expiring $13.2MM contract, and would be willing to part with a first-round pick for the right player. Charlotte will surrender their pick to the Bulls if it falls out of the top ten, but might still have two first-rounders in this year’s draft. They are owed the Pistons first-round pick (top-eight protected), as well as the Trail Blazers pick (top-12 protected). According to Kennedy, the Bobcats have already inquired about the Sixers Evan Turner, and the Bulls Taj Gibson.

Celtics Re-Sign Chris Johnson

February 6th, 2014 at 12:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 5:54pm: A multi-year contract with Johnson has been announced through a team press release.

WEDNESDAY, 12:29pm: Negotiations continue between the Celtics and Johnson, and Boston is considering attaching an extra season onto the deal, reports Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. Johnson’s agent, Marc Cornstein, tells Murphy that other teams have shown interest in his client.

10:00am: The Celtics plan to give swingman Chris Johnson a deal for the rest of the season when his second 10-day contract expires after tonight, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Johnson has impressed the C’s during his stint with the club, but Boston was unsure about keeping him because of its proximity to the luxury tax.

The 23-year-old Pinnacle Management Corp. client jumped into Boston’s rotation in his first appearance after signing his initial 10-day deal, and averaged 7.6 points in 21.5 minutes per game while shooting 40.0% from three-point range. He had his shortest outing as a Celtic last night against the Sixers, playing slightly more than three minutes, but he’s apparently done enough to convince the team to keep him.

Boston is roughly $1MM away from the luxury tax threshold, and the addition of a minimum-salary deal for the rest of the season for Johnson would draw the team $353,717 closer to that $71.748MM line if the contract begins Friday. It would also give the C’s a 14th guaranteed contract, meaning they could only absorb one extra player in a deadline deal.

Odds & Ends: Suns, Nets, Celtics, Ariza

February 4th, 2014 at 3:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns are exploring their trade options with Emeka Okafor‘s expiring contract, but if they use it to bring in Pau Gasol or another player via trade, Jeff Hornacek insists it won’t be someone who’ll disrupt the locker room, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic observes.

“Our guys have great chemistry,” Hornacek said. “If they ever do anything to bring a guy in here, that guy is going to have to figure out what makes us good chemistry-wise, and he’s going to have to fit in. That’s like every team.”

Here’s more from around the league, with two weeks and two days to go until the trade deadline:

Nets GM Billy King isn’t looking to trade injured Brook Lopez, but he tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe that he’s open to deals that would bring draft picks to Brooklyn.
The Celtics are high on Chris Johnson, though Boston’s proximity to the tax line may keep the team from re-signing him for the season when his second 10-day deal expires Thursday night, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines.
Trevor Ariza is performing well in a contract year, and the Wizards will probably make a strong push to re-sign him, according to J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com heard a couple of weeks ago that the Bucks are unlikely to pull off a major deadline trade, but in his latest Insider-only “Tank Rank” piece, he says they’d like to acquire a young player or a first-round draft pick in exchange for their veterans.
In the same piece, Ford suggests the Magic are making Jameer Nelson and Glen Davis available.
Draft prospect Dante Exum would prefer to play for the Lakers, and Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders wonders if agent Rob Pelinka would try to use the threat of Exum playing next season overseas to dissuade other teams from drafting him.
The city of San Francisco received a signed petition that proposes a vote on regulations that would erect a hurdle to the Warriors‘ plans for an arena in the city. The San Jose Mercury News has the details.

Atlantic Notes: Rondo, Johnson, Nets

January 28th, 2014 at 5:54pm CST by Cray Allred

The Raptors have handed the Nets their only two losses in their last 12 games, with last night’s victory coming in exciting fashion off of a Patrick Patterson steal and basket in the final seconds. The Nets and Raptors are neck and neck atop the Atlantic Division, as the Knicks hope to continue inching back towards contention with a win against the Celtics tonight. Here’s some more from around the Atlantic:

Several general managers would be “surprised” if Rajon Rondo were traded prior to the upcoming trade deadline, according to Ric Bucher of The Bleacher Report. Until he fully returns to form following his ACL surgery, they doubt the Celtics would be able to receive enough value in return.
After the Celtics signed Chris Johnson to a second 10-day contract today, coach Brad Stevens tells Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald he first noticed Johnson in the preseason, when the small forward scored against the Celtics as a member of the Nets. Stevens says he values Johnson’s efficiency, as he’s scored 10 points per game in four games with the Celtics since signing his first 10-day contract earlier this month.
Both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are feeling and performing better of late, helping the Nets during a recent 10-2 stretch after a miserable start to the season, they tell Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. The pair credit their increased roles on a depleted roster as the reason for the improvement. “The difference in the way we’re playing is we were thinking secondary as we come in,” Garnett said. “Then Brook [Lopez gets hurt], Deron [Williams] has been beat up, and we’ve had to be primaries now. When you’re secondary, which [we were for] the first time in our careers, you take a step back. You’re not as forceful … you don’t want to step on everybody’s toes.

Celtics Re-Sign Chris Johnson

January 28th, 2014 at 9:33am CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics have officially announced the signing of Chris Johnson to a second 10-day deal. A source told Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald on Sunday that the small forward from Dayton was likely to stick with the team once his deal expired. Johnson is not to be confused with the LSU center by the same name who played for the C’s in 2010/11.

The 6’6″ 23-year-old fit right into the Boston rotation on his first 10-day contract, averaging 10.0 points in 26.8 minutes per game with a 15.7 PER. He’s already logged more minutes than he received over the course of two 10-day contracts with the Grizzlies last season. Johnson, a client of Pinnacle Management Corp., spent camp this fall with the Nets and was playing with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League when the Celtics brought him in for a workout earlier this month. Boston signed him to his first 10-day deal shortly thereafter.

When his latest 10-day contract expires, the Celtics will have to decide whether to sign Johnson for the season or let him walk. They also have Vander Blue on a 15-day deal that expires Friday night, but with just 13 guaranteed contracts, they have room to keep both for the rest of the season if they so desire.

Celtics To Re-Sign Chris Johnson

January 26th, 2014 at 9:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

JANUARY 26th: A source tells Mark Murphy (via Twitter) that Johnson will probably get a second 10-day deal.

JANUARY 17th, 11:19am: The team announced the signing, via press release. Having waited an extra day to make the deal official means the club gets to squeeze in an extra game for Johnson, whose contract won’t expire until after Boston’s game against the Nets on January 26th, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald points out (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 12:44pm: The Celtics plan to sign Johnson on Friday, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

11:14am: Chris Johnson and the Celtics are finalizing a deal, and the expectation is that he’ll sign a 10-day contract, tweets Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Adrian Wojnarowski reported overnight that Johnson was in town for a workout with the club. The small forward from Dayton is not to be confused with the Chris Johnson from LSU who played with the Celtics during the 2010/11 season. The move brings Boston’s roster to 14 players.

Johnson has been averaging 19.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in 37.2 minutes per game for the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season, after spending training camp with the Nets. His only official NBA action came on a pair of 10-day contracts with the Grizzlies last season, when his averages were 3.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG and 12.8 MPG.

The Celtics traded away Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks yesterday, and they’ve excused Keith Bogans from the team, so Johnson will bolster the team’s dwindling wing depth. Boston will have an open roster spot even after adding Johnson, and Wojnarowski’s report seemed to suggest the team might be working out other players.

Johnson is a client of Pinnacle Management Corp., as our Agency Database shows.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Celtics, Green

January 22nd, 2014 at 12:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

The average value of an NBA franchise is $634MM, a 25% jump over last year, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.com. The Knicks lead the way with a valuation of $1.4 billion, helped along by renovations to Madison Square Garden. Only four NBA teams lost money last year, Badenhausen writes, though Grantland’s Zach Lowe notes that the league usually disputes the numbers in the Forbes annual report (Twitter link). While the Knicks appear to be doing just fine financially, that isn’t the case on the court or in the locker room, as we detail amid our look at the Atlantic Division:

There have been some hard feelings between Mike Woodson and Tyson Chandler, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News examines, noting that Knicks GM Steve Mills isn’t thrilled with Woodson’s job performance.
The Celtics highly value a player’s zeal for the game, as their 10-day signing of Chris Johnson and dismissal of Keith Bogans indicate, but it won’t be easy for Johnson to get a deal with Boston for the rest of the season, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Presumably that applies to the newly signed Vander Blue, as well. The C’s are close to the luxury tax line, and keeping roster spots open will help the team retain flexibility for trades in advance of the February 20th deadline, Forsberg explains.
Jeff Green tells Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher that the Celtics haven’t indicated to him that he’s on the trade block, as Bucher notes at the end of his piece.
Danny Ainge didn’t say whether he envisions a long-term future in Boston for Kris Humphries, who’s expressed a desire to stay, but the Celtics GM tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe that he didn’t expect Humphries to perform as well as he has. Ainge was nonetheless high on the power forward even before the trade that brought Humphries to Boston this summer.
Nets GM Billy King thinks Jason Kidd is “coming into his own” as a coach, as he said on The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show on ESPN New York 98.7, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Mirza Teletovic expressed similar sentiments in a conversation last night with Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
King also confirmed on radio that it’s unlikely Edin Bavcic, a throw-in to Wednesday’s Tyshawn Taylor trade, ever plays for the Nets. King said the roster spot the team opened via that transaction enhances the possibility the Nets will use the disabled player exception for Brook Lopez to add a player. Youngmisuk has more from the Nets GM in the same piece.

Chris Johnson Working Out For Celtics

January 16th, 2014 at 8:19am CST by Chuck Myron

Small forward Chris Johnson is in Boston to take part in a workout with the Celtics, and there’s a “good chance” he’ll sign a 10-day contract with the team, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The former University of Dayton Flyer is not to be confused with center Chris Johnson from LSU, who played briefly with the Celtics during the 2010/11 season. The Celtics have two open roster spots following yesterday’s three-team trade.

Johnson’s only official NBA action came while on a pair of 10-day contracts last season with the Grizzlies. He spent camp this fall with the Nets, and he’s currently a member of the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, with whom he’s spent much of the past two seasons. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 37.2 minutes per game for the Vipers, the affiliate of the Rockets.

Wojnarowski’s tweet seems to indicate that there will be other free agents in the workout, though that’s not entirely clear. The Celtics traded swingman MarShon Brooks and guard Jordan Crawford yesterday and received center Joel Anthony in return, so it makes sense that they’re eyeing another guard/forward type.

Nets Waive Gutierrez, Johnson, Thomas

October 26th, 2013 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Nets announced that they have waived guard Jorge Gutierrez and forwards Chris Johnson and Adonis Thomas. Brooklyn’s roster now stands at the max of 15.

Gutierrez, who was signed to the training camp roster on September 30, appeared in five preseason games, averaging 1.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Johnson, who was also signed to the training camp roster on September 30, played in seven preseason games, averaging 5.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. Thomas, who was signed to the training camp roster on October 18, did not appear in any preseason games for the Nets.