It’s an end of an era in Toronto as Amir Johnson has left the Raptors for the Celtics.
Free agent forward Amir Johnson has agreed to a deal with the Boston Celtics, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 1, 2015
Amir Johnson's agreement with Boston will pay him $24 million over two years, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) July 1, 2015
Johnson’s rights were renounced so the Raptors could have enough room to sign DeMarre Carrol. The Raptors could have theoretically still pursued Johnson but given the rumours that Caroll might be playing power forward, and Dwane Casey being a new fan of small ball, Johnson was the odd man out. He’s now managed to secure a very lucrative, albeit short-term, deal with with the Celtics that sees him almost double his annual salary for the next two seasons. A bit surprised he chose a division rival and a team we hate, but you got to follow the money and chances are there weren’t that many teams throwing money around.
Johnson has been a loyal servant to the club, playing six seasons and being part of some very painful times, and some good times. Last year he averaged 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in 26 minutes of play, and finishes his Raptors career averaging 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds in 25 minutes while featuring in 586 games for the club. He’s fourth in the franchise’s all-time games played behind Morris Peterson, Jose Calderon, and Chris Bosh.
[Forum Thread: Goodbye Amir Johnson]
Johnson signed a 5-year, $34-million deal in 2010, which was seen as over-payment at the time, but as the cap grew and Johnson became a core part of Toronto’s defense, the deal was considered a bargain. Johnson was injury-riddled the last two seasons but continued playing through the pain, which many thought was detrimental to him and the Raptors defense. He remains an effective pick ‘n roll player who has improved his finishing tremendously, and developed a respectable mid-range jumper which is effective when open.
Under Dwane Casey last season, Johnson’s key offensive strength, playing the roll man on the pick ‘n roll, wasn’t utilized to good effect, and here’s hoping he regains his touch with the Celtics. Johnson was a big part of the local Raptors community, and endeared himself to the city and country. He played hard, and there’s nothing negative to be said about a consummate professional, who an hour ago wished all Canadians on Canada Day:
🇨🇦Happy Canada Day!!!🇨🇦
— Amir Johnson (@IamAmirJohnson) July 1, 2015
Amir Johnson – all the best, and thank you!
