Toronto Raptors, James Johnson agree to two-year deal

Mar 24, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward James Johnson reacts to a play during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward James Johnson reacts to a play during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Toronto Raptors have been rather quiet this offseason but they’ve still been making some moves. None of the signings they’ve made have been splashy but they make sense and seem like they’ll make the Raptors a better team in 2014-15 as tehy attempt to make it back to the postseason.

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One player that also went to the postseason last year is James Johnson and he’s agreed to return to Toronto this offseason to resume his basketball career north of the border.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski from Yahoo! Sports, the Grizzlies had interest in Johnson but he ultimately decided to return to Toronto on a two-year deal.

"Free-agent forward James Johnson has agreed to a two-year, $5 million contract with the Toronto Raptors, league sources told Yahoo Sports.Memphis had interest in re-signing Johnson, but he left for a return to Toronto. Utah and Houston had expressed interest too, sources said. Johnson averaged 7.4 points and 3.2 rebounds for the Grizzlies last season."

Johnson was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Raptors a few seasons ago and played a minor role on the team but showed flashes at times. That flash is what caused his role to grow and grow, eventually leading him to Memphis where he continued to hone his skills.

He’s not returning to a starting role by any means but having Johnson back is clearly something the Raptors wanted and they’ve got their wish on the second week of free agency.