The Miami Heat always seem to find themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference standings and competing for a championship, but they have really struggled to begin the 2022-23 season.
Injury concerns to Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and others has obviously affected Miami’s ability to find consistency and success this season and as a result, the Heat are open to the idea of adding more depth out on the wing.
While he has not actually signed a contract with the Miami Heat, former lottery pick Stanley Johnson did join the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Thursday, which was first reported by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Shortly after Scotto’s report, the Skyforce announced that they had acquired Johnson from the available player pool and that he is expected to be ready to play with the team this upcoming weekend.
Drafted eighth overall in 2015, Stanley Johnson has had trouble finding a consistent home in the NBA. Last season though, he played really well with the Los Angeles Lakers, starting in 27 of the 48 total games he played in.
Johnson ended up averaging 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor in Los Angeles and the Lakers ended up having to include him in the trade that allowed them to acquire Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz this past offseason. The Jazz waived Johnson before the start of the 2022-23 season.
Being a lengthy forward who can defend multiple positions and be a threat to run in transition out on the wing, Stanley Johnson is certainly a player the Heat could consider adding to their 15-man roster.
Still technically a free agent though at the NBA-level, any team can still sign Johnson and even if the Heat were to sign him to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, that would put Miami in the luxury tax if he’s kept for longer than a few weeks.
At this time, there are no indications that the Heat will sign Johnson to a standard contract.
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