Report: Joe Johnson to sign with the Houston Rockets

After being traded to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, it looks like former All-Star guard Joe Johnson is headed to the Houston Rockets after his buyout.

Joe Johnson was traded to  the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, as he was a part of a three-team deal that sent George Hill and Rodney Hood to the Cleveland Cavaliers. While Hill and Hood went to a contending team, Johnson was shipped to one of the worst teams in the NBA. Johnson will not be on the Kings very long, as he’s expected to sign with the Houston Rockets once his buyout is complete.

Playing for the Utah Jazz this season, Johnson has averaged 7.3 points in 32 games, including three starts. While he’s no longer the scorer he once was, he does garner attention when he’s on the floor, as he still has the ability to fill it up in bunches. His last game with Utah was back on Feb. 7, when he scored seven points on 3-for-8 shooting. Johnson scored a season-high 20 points against the New Orleans Pelicans back on Jan. 3.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was quick to tweet out the pending signing via Twitter, and the move should help the Rockets in a big way down the stretch.

Houston is currently in second place in the Western Conference, and has won seven straight games. It trails the Golden State Warriors by 0.5 games, so it makes sense it would make a move to improve the roster at this point in the season. The Rockets finished last season with a 55-27 record, losing in the Western Conference Semifinals to the San Antonio Spurs in six games.

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Johnson is a seven-time NBA All-Star, and has spent time playing for Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni. The Rockets are one of the better teams in the Western Conference, and adding a scorer like Johnson will help give star guard James Harden some extra rest towards the end of the season. Houston is set to make a serious run towards the NBA Finals, though it will have to get past the dreaded Warriors to do so.