http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2517184-wesley-johnson-to-clippers-latest-contract-details-comments-and-reaction
Wesley Johnson to Clippers: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction
Shams Charania of RealGM first reported the news, and Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reported the contract will be for the league minimum. Johnson is not officially able to sign the contract until Thursday, the end of the NBA's moratorium period on transactions.
The No. 4 overall pick in 2010, Johnson spent the last two seasons with the Lakers. He averaged 9.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 2014-15, largely working as the team's starting small forward. Despite below-average production for most of his career, Johnson has started 269 of his 349 NBA games.
Depending on how Rivers wants to structure his rotation, Johnson may luck into a starting gig again next season. The Clippers lack depth at the natural small forward slot, with Lance Stephenson, J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford each working best at the 2. Stephenson, a plus outside defender with shot-creation skills, should get the first crack at the starting gig.
However, Rivers acquired Stephenson with the vision of him being a jack-of-all-trades player off the bench.
“I like that [Stephenson] can play multiple positions—really 2, 3 and 1—because he’s a terrific passer,” Rivers told The Beast 980 in June (h/t Arash Markazi of ESPN.com). “I don’t know if I made the trade for him to be a starter, per se, I look at him really more to be a utility player that can come in and play literally three different positions for us."
If Rivers sticks to his initial plan, Johnson may move into the starting lineup. The Clippers have no other legitimate options, as their cap situation leaves them hamstrung against adding real pieces. Most of Los Angeles' assets will likely be tied into finding a replacement for Jordan, an All-NBA center who spurned the Clippers to sign with the Dallas Mavericks.