Stanley Johnson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stanley Johnson Signs 10-Day Deal With Lakers

January 6th, 2022 at 11:39am CST by Rory Maher

JANUARY 6: Johnson’s 10-day contract is official, the Lakers announced (via Twitter)

JANUARY 5: Forward Stanley Johnson is likely to sign a 10-day deal with the Lakers on Thursday, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN (via Twitter). Johnson’s 10-day hardship deal with the Lakers expired on Monday, and he made a strong impression on the club with his on-ball defense and toughness, says McMenamin.

The 25-year-old Johnson averaged 6.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 1.4 APG in five games (three starts) with Los Angeles. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, there’s no difference in salary between signing Johnson to a couple of 10-day deals and then signing him to a contract that covers the rest of the season at the end of January vs. signing him to a rest-of-season deal on Thursday, so the move is all about maintaining roster flexibility ahead of the trade deadline on February 10.

Johnson, a Los Angeles native, signed with the Bulls on a 10-day hardship deal last month but never suited up for the team after entering the league’s health and safety protocols. He spent training camp and preseason with Chicago, but was released prior to the season. He had been playing with the Lakers’ G League squad, South Bay, prior to being called up to the NBA. In six games with South Bay this season (30.5 MPG), Johnson put up 15.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.2 SPG with a .405/.286/.750 shooting line.

There had been mutual interest between Johnson and the Lakers to reach a contract agreement, especially after the team traded Rajon Rondo to the Cavaliers to clear a roster spot. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Johnson has played for the Pistons, Pelicans, Raptors and Lakers since entering the NBA. He has proven capable of providing energy and defensive versatility, but his offensive game has always been limited. In 376 career regular season games, he has averaged 6.2 PPG on .376/.297/.764 shooting in 19.8 minutes per contest.

Lakers Notes: Johnson, Collison, Rondo, Bradley, Monk

January 3rd, 2022 at 9:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There’s mutual interest between the Lakers and Stanley Johnson to reach a contract agreement, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets.

Johnson has been playing on a 10-day contract under the hardship exception but that expired on Monday. The Lakers currently have no players in the protocols but traditional 10-day contracts can be signed as early as Wednesday. Johnson could sign up to two traditional 10-day contracts, since the hardship contract didn’t count against those deals. The team could also bring back Johnson on a standard contract.

Johnson has averaged 6.8 PPG on 45.8% shooting, 2.8 RPG and 1.2 SPG in five games, including three starts. He has also made a strong impact with his defense.

Darren Collison‘s 10-day hardship deal also expired on Monday.

We have more on the Lakers:

The club has an open roster spot due to the three-team deal that sent Rajon Rondo to Cleveland. That deal was made official on Monday. Los Angeles wasn’t eager to move on from Rondo but needed the roster flexibility, McMenamin writes. “It wasn’t like we wanted to depart from Rondo,” coach Frank Vogel said. “But it’s just one of those front office decisions that you have to make difficult decisions and to lose a guy like Rondo is obviously very difficult.”
The Lakers could also open up another roster spot if they waive Avery Bradley before Friday, when his veteran’s minimum contract becomes fully guaranteed, McMenamin notes in the same story.
Malik Monk, who is on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, has been making the most of his recent opportunities, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. Monk, who has averaged 20 PPG over the last five contests, was motivated by other teams’ lack of interest in the free agent market. “It kind of hit me hard when nobody really wanted me besides the Lakers, man,” he said. “So I just put fuel in my tank and just held it in until the time until I get time to play, man, and prove I can play for a long period of time. That’s what I’m doing right now.”

Lakers Notes: LeBron, S. Johnson, Vogel

January 1st, 2022 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James started his second game of the season at center Friday night, and that could be the lineup tweak that helps the Lakers survive until Anthony Davis returns, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. James continued his recent hot streak with 43 points and 14 rebounds, and the added spacing created plenty of opportunities for his teammates.

“This could be something that makes the game easier for him,” coach Frank Vogel said. “He’s not wrestling so much and there’s more space for him to be a roller, there’s just a lot of positives to that. Can’t really get away with it with certain matchups on the other end and obviously when AD comes back he’s going to play a load at the five and then we can play this smaller lineup as well.”

The small-ball approach is familiar for point guard Russell Westbrook, who was with the Rockets when they adopted a center-less lineup two seasons ago. Vogel doesn’t want to make that type of commitment, saying the decision on when to use LeBron in the middle will depend on matchups.

“You play Houston, Christian Wood at center, that’s a clear, ‘Yeah, let’s put Bron at center.’ That’s an easy one,” Vogel explained. “Next game, Steven Adams, biggest, strongest guy in the league; let’s play Dwight (Howard) at center. That’s an easy one. These next few games in the middle, there’s gonna be a lot of in-between types of decisions that we have to make on a game-by-game basis.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

James marked his 37th birthday this week, but his performance suggests he still has a few good years left, notes Bill Oram of The Athletic. There are two considerations that are likely to delay LeBron’s retirement — he needs about two more seasons to threaten the career scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and he’s two years away from getting the opportunity to play in the NBA at the same time as his son. “I’m on the other side of the hill,” James said, “so we’ll see where the game takes me. We’ll see where my body takes me and my mind. As long as my mind stays fresh and my body stays with that, I can play the game.”
Stanley Johnson got to live out his childhood dream of playing for the Lakers when they signed him to a hardship contract, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Now he has a chance to stick with the team for the rest of the season, likely filling an open roster spot once the expected Rajon Rondo trade is completed. “Stanley is huge in what we’re trying to do,” said assistant coach David Fizdale. “With his motor and with his defensive intensity and prowess, we can really use that right now.”
The Lakers’ poor performance during the five games while Vogel was in the health and safety protocols should boost his job security, Buha states in a separate story.

Rondo Trade Notes: Grades, Finances, More Details

December 31st, 2021 at 10:03pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers are set to acquire Rajon Rondo from the Lakers in exchange for Denzel Valentine, which will mark the first trade of the 2021/22 regular season. Valentine, who’s on a partially guaranteed contract, is expected to be waived by Los Angeles.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter), Rondo is enthusiastic about the opportunity to play more minutes with the young Cavs and was happy to learn of the trade after the Lakers informed him that it was a possibility.

Here are some more details on the transaction, which has yet to be officially completed:

In an Insider article for ESPN-plus, Kevin Pelton grades the trade for both teams. He likes the Lakers’ side of things more and isn’t optimistic about Rondo’s performance for the remainder of the regular season.
John Hollinger of The Athletic, however, thinks it’s a deal that makes sense for both the Cavs and the Lakers. Hollinger notes that Cleveland is desperate for another ball-handler after season-ending injuries to Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton, and with Darius Garland and Cedi Osman still in the health and safety protocols. With Rondo as a short-term solution, the Cavs will buy themselves some time to remain in the playoff hunt, but Hollinger thinks they’ll still be active on the trade market in search for more backcourt help. The Lakers, meanwhile, save approximately $3.1MM in luxury tax payments and free up a roster spot, presumably to sign Stanley Johnson.
Bobby Marks of ESPN provides a video breakdown of his thoughts on the trade. Like Hollinger, Marks thinks the deal is a win-win for both teams, with the Lakers saving money and opening a roster spot, and Rondo providing leadership and high basketball IQ to the Cavs. He views it as a no-risk deal for Cleveland.

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, LeBron, Monk, S. Johnson

December 26th, 2021 at 3:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook is being criticized for a poor shooting night Saturday against the Nets, but LeBron James came to the defense of his teammate after the Lakers suffered their fifth straight loss, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Westbrook turned in another triple-double, but he shot just 4-of-20 from the field, committed five fouls and three turnovers, and missed a shot at the rim in the closing seconds of the game.

“He gave us extra possessions, he gave us a lot of looks around the basket, which I know that he can’t stand (failing to convert) as well,” James said. “But as far as the effort piece, if a guy plays hard, if a guy leaves it all out on the floor, I got no problem with that. It’s a make-or-miss league.”

L.A. sent three rotation players and a draft pick to the Wizards over the summer to acquire Westbrook, who they hoped would form a dangerous Big Three with James and Anthony Davis. However, the results have been mixed at best as the Lakers are 16-18 and Westbrook is averaging just 19.6 points per game, shooting 45.1% from the field and 30.4% from three-point range and committing 4.6 turnovers per night. There have been rumors that the front office has already discussed trading him, but his contract, which includes a $47.1MM player option for next season, makes that difficult.

“A big part of it is he just wants it so bad,” acting head coach David Fizdale said. “I mean, you can just see it in him, everybody does. He wants it so bad. And I know that’s just hard for him when it doesn’t work out. And I know he cares like crazy.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

L.A. is in danger of becoming the first franchise not to maximize James’ considerable talents, contends Bill Oram of The Athletic. LeBron’ presence used to mean an almost automatic trip to the NBA Finals, but apart from the title run in 2020, the Lakers haven’t won a playoff series since signing him and may be headed for another appearance in the play-in round.
The team got a boost from Malik Monk, who returned to the lineup Saturday after missing five games while in the health and safety protocols, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Monk learned he was in the protocols during the team’s recent road trip and wound up spending five days in Minnesota.
Appearing in his first game since signing a hardship contract, Stanley Johnson was happy to be back on the court and playing for his hometown team, Turner adds. “I kinda just like let it happen,” Johnson said. “I was in quarantine a day ago, like 36 hours ago … and I have barely time to do anything and they throw me in the game and I play a lot of minutes. I’m just, one, blessed and grateful to even be here right now and just learn as much as I can to be as useful as I can for this team.”

Lakers Sign Darren Collison, Stanley Johnson To 10-Day Deals

December 24th, 2021 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

4:45 PM: The 10-day contracts for Collison and Johnson are now official, per Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group (via Twitter).

12:28 PM: The Lakers intend to sign guard Darren Collison and forward Stanley Johnson to 10-day contracts via hardship exceptions, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team hopes both players can be available for Saturday’s Christmas Day contest vs. Brooklyn.

Collison made a surprise retirement announcement just ahead of free agency in the summer of 2019, citing family and religious reasons. In his final NBA season in 2018/19, he averaged 11.2 PPG and 6.0 APG with a .467/.407/.832 shooting line in 76 games (28.2 MPG) for the Pacers.

There were reports that Collison might return with the Lakers or Clippers during the ’19/20 season, but nothing came of those rumors and he later said they were overblown. However, the 34-year-old reportedly worked out for the Lakers and Warriors this summer, signaling that he remained open to the idea of a comeback. Now, for at least 10 days, it’s happening.

Johnson, 25, signed a 10-day hardship deal with the Bulls earlier this month, but entered the health and safety protocols before appearing in a game with the team. Assuming he tested positive for COVID-19, it appears he’s now fully recovered.

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Johnson has played for the Pistons, Pelicans, and Raptors since entering the NBA. He has proven capable of providing energy and defensive versatility off the bench, but his offensive game has always been limited. In 371 career regular season games, he has averaged 6.2 PPG on .375/.298/.761 shooting in 19.7 minutes per contest.

Collison and Johnson will be the Lakers’ third and fourth hardship signings, joining Isaiah Thomas and Jemerrio Jones. The team currently has five players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu, Stanley Johnson Enter Protocols

December 11th, 2021 at 4:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls‘ COVID-19 outbreak continues with Ayo Dosunmu and Stanley Johnson both being placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago.

They are the sixth and seventh Chicago players to enter the protocols, along with Coby White, Javonte Green, DeMar DeRozan, Matt Thomas and Derrick Jones Jr.

Johnson just joined the team on Thursday, signing a 10-day deal under the hardship exception. The Bulls added a second hardship player, Alfonzo McKinnie, on Friday. Dosunmu, a rookie guard, has started the last two games due to the depleted lineup.

The Bulls still have 11 active players, so there doesn’t appear to be any danger of tonight’s game in Miami being postponed. The NBA hasn’t called off any games so far this season after COVID-19 caused chaos with the schedule last year, particularly in the early part of the season.

Schaefer adds that Alex Caruso, who has missed the past three games with a strained right hamstring, has been listed as available for tonight.

Bulls Sign Stanley Johnson Via Hardship Exception

December 9th, 2021 at 12:02pm CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 9: The Bulls have officially signed Johnson to a 10-day contract using the hardship exception, the team announced today in a press release.

DECEMBER 8: The Bulls are signing forward Stanley Johnson by using a hardship exception, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Johnson was playing in the G League for the South Bay Lakers, but was with the Bulls during training camp.

The Bulls evidently applied for and were granted the hardship exception after Matt Thomas became the fourth member of the team to enter the league’s health and safety protocols.

Johnson, 25, was the No. 8 pick in the 2015 draft by the Pistons. He spent his first three-plus seasons in the league with Detroit before being traded to the Pelicans in 2018/19. Johnson played for the Raptors the past two seasons and was a regular rotation player last season, averaging 4.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.5 APG in 61 contests for the club (16.5 MPG).

Johnson is a strong, physical athlete and a solid defender, but shooting has limited his effectiveness in the NBA. In 331 career games (19.7 MPG), he holds averages of 6.2 PPG 3.1 RPG, and 1.4 APG on .375/.298/.761 shooting.

In six games with South Bay this season (30.5 MPG), Johnson put up 15.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.2 SPG with a .405/.286/.750 shooting line.

And-Ones: Highsmith, Johnson, USA Basketball, Parsons

November 20th, 2021 at 12:43pm CST by JD Shaw

USA Basketball has added former Sixers two-way player Haywood Highsmith to its initial qualifying team for the 2023 World Cup, agent Jerry Dianis confirmed. Highsmith will join the team in time for group training, which is set to take place from Nov. 20-25.

Highsmith signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Philadelphia this past fall, later joining the team’s G League affiliate in Delaware. In four games with the club, he’s averaging 16 points, six rebounds and two steals, while shooting 57% from the floor and 50% from deep.

USA Basketball also recently added former NBA players Isaiah Thomas and Justin Anderson to its roster. The team’s first game is against Cuba on Nov. 28, playing in a bubble format in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Speaking of USA Basketball, former No. 8 pick Stanley Johnson received interest to play with the team for the first window of the World Cup qualifiers, according to Marc Stein of Substack. Johnson decided not to play with the group, choosing to join the Lakers’ G League affiliate in South Bay instead. Johnson is working to fast-track a return to the NBA, according to Stein. The 25-year-old holds 371 games of NBA experience and played with Toronto last year.
Former NBA player Chandler Parsons is still recovering from the serious injuries he sustained during a car crash in 2020, he told TMZ Sports. Parsons, who suffered a brain injury, disc herniation and torn labrum, was allegedly hit by a drunk driver in the collision. “We’ll see,” Parsons said about a potential NBA comeback. “Working out, staying in shape, but trying to still recover from the car crash last year, so we’ll see.” Parsons last played with the Hawks during the 2019/20 season.

Stanley Johnson Joins South Bay Lakers

November 15th, 2021 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA lottery pick Stanley Johnson will resume his playing career in the NBA G League, having joined the South Bay Lakers, according to the team (Twitter link). South Bay is, of course, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ G League affiliate.

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 last season.

Although he joined the Bulls for training camp this fall, Johnson didn’t end up earning a spot on the team’s 15-man regular season roster, as Chicago opted to hang onto Alize Johnson and Matt Thomas instead.

Johnson has proven capable of providing energy and defensive versatility off the bench, but his offensive game has always been limited. In 371 career regular season games, he has averaged 6.2 PPG on .375/.298/.761 shooting in 19.7 minutes per contest.

As a member of the South Bay Lakers, Johnson will continue to be an NBA free agent, giving him the ability to sign outright with any NBA team at any time.