Joe Johnson had many suitors after being released by the Brooklyn Nets, but the Miami Heat ended up coming out on top. Dwyane Wade apparently made a strong pitch to the wingman, and Johnson will get more minutes from the Heat than he would have on a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It is unclear why he chose Miami over Cleveland, but it might have something to do with the role he wants going forward. The Heat officially signed Johnson on Saturday night, and Wade seemed pleased about the development.
“Joe is a friend of mine. I tried to do my best job of trying to paint the picture that this is a good place to be,” he said to NBA.com. “I make sure he sees my name in his inbox a lot, but he made a decision from there what’s best for him.”
Johnson even played 30 minutes for the Heat against the New York Knicks on Sunday night, although it will take him a little time to completely learn Miami’s offense. LeBron James, in particular, was vocal about wanting to get Johnson on the Cavs, so it’s interesting that Wade won out in this instance. Johnson would’ve gotten a lot more open looks with Cleveland, but Miami could be the best place for him if he is angling for a big contract this summer. They’ll be relying on him as probably their third-best scorer moving forward.
The wingman averaged 11.8 points with the Nets this season, but it’s his efficient outside shooting that makes him so valuable. Especially with Chris Bosh potentially missing the rest of this season, it will be crucial for the Heat to have someone out there who can space the floor. Johnson delivers in that respect due to shooting 43.2 percent from three-point range in the month of February.
The bottom line is that Miami was lucky to add him to their team with other squads like the Cavs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks all vying for his services. The Heat must take advantage of this moment, because their roster could be completely bare of talent if this offseason doesn’t go well.
