Joe Johnson returned to the NBA after fantastic displays in BIG3 League this summer as has agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Pistons, according to ESPN. Johnson, who played 17 seasons in the NBA and made it to seven All-Star games, was impressive in BIG3, where he won the championship with the Triplets.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the deal is worth $2.6 million and has $220,000 in guaranteed money. The contract will become fully guaranteed if Iso Joe remains on the Pistons roster after January 7.
The Detroit Pistons have signed @TheBIG3 Champion Joe Johnson!
ISO JOE broke the single-season record for PTS & AST in the BIG3. He also led the league in PTS, AST, 4PTS and made 6 game winners. https://t.co/9Y1v0wgoBT
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 12, 2019
The 38-year-old swingman last played in the NBA in the 2017-18 campaign. He averaged 6.8 points on 40.6% shooting in 55 games for the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets that season. Johnson’s playing time took a big hit in the 2018 playoffs as he played just 6.8 minutes per contest with the Rockets.
His best playing years were with the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets, and in 17 seasons in total, Johnson averaged 16 points, four rebounds and four assists per game.
Johnson also worked out with the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets prior to agreeing to a deal with the Pistons, but it seems that Detroit needs him the most. The Pistons don’t have a lot of quality players at SG/SF positions, and Johnson could help with both shooting and his playmaking abilities. The team will heavily rely on Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond while the backcourt duo of Reggie Jackson and Derrick Rose is also an essential part of the squad.
H/T: ESPN
