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NBA Rumors: Amir Johnson, Boston Celtics reach deal

By Cody Williams

Nov 28, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Amir Johnson (15) during their game against the Dallas Mavericks at Air Canada Centre. The Mavericks beat the Raptors 106-102. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Amir Johnson (15) during their game against the Dallas Mavericks at Air Canada Centre. The Mavericks beat the Raptors 106-102. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Veteran forward Amir Johnson has reportedly agreed to a contract with the Boston Celtics.

NBA Draft night was a curious exercise for the Boston Celtics as they added guards Terry Rozier and R.J. Hunter with their two first round picks, making an already crowded backcourt even more cluttered. Now that NBA free agency is underway, they seem to be addressing their need for quality frontcourt depth, starting with Amir Johnson.

According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Celtics and Johnson have agreed in principle to a deal. Wojnarowski is also reporting that Johnson will sign a two-year deal worth approximately $24 million.

The 28-year-old Johnson has spent the past six seasons as a member of the Toronto Raptors, developing into a key cog for their frontcourt. While he never averaged more than 10.5 points or 7.5 rebounds per game in Toronto, he was a glue guy that was unafraid to do the dirty work and was a reliable, efficient role player for the Raps.

Boston going out and grabbing a quality rotation big man is a nice move for them. It’s obviously not signing Kevin Love or even remotely similar, but it gives the Celtics depth at a position of need and improves their team as a whole.

The other big takeaway from Johnson going to Boston is it being another instance of how next summer’s jump in the salary cap is already affecting free agency. While Johnson is a valuable player in this league, he’s not the type of player that would have warranted a deal that pays him $12 million per year in past free agency periods.

Despite how huge his salary looks now, this is a solid signing for Boston. The team clearly needs a star still if they want to get back to contending for championships, but they have a multitude of assets to deal or build around and Johnson is yet another name to add to that list.

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