Johnson Rejoins
With a three-year, $18 million deal, the Clippers secured some of their wing depth. Wesley Johnson has never lived up to his lofty status as the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, but he’s a capable defender out on the perimeter.
That’s where the good news stops, unfortunately, since Johnson’s reputation as an average 3-and-D player sort of fell off the map last season. In his most recent season, Wes only managed to put up 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game on paltry .404/.333/.652 shooting splits.
I was not a Wesley Johnson fan prior to him coming to the Clippers. But he hustled, played hard, and it won me over. He battled.
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) July 3, 2016
Getting Johnson at only $6 million a season (with a third year player option) feels like appropriate value for a player whose efficiency tailed off after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, but it does very little to nudge the needle closer to “contender” for the Clips.
Johnson is a decent enough two-way player, and perhaps he’ll live up to an expanded role now that Jeff Green is gone. But as cost-effective as his deal is, Johnson returning to the Clippers with the rest of an average bench unit is yet another reason the failed pursuit of KD hurts.
Grade: B-
Next: Keeping Crawford