Veteran forward-guard Joe Johnson is taking his talents to South Beach.
Shams Charania of The Vertical reports, Johnson has committed to sign with the Miami Heat after reaching a buyout agreement with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. Johnson, 34, will clear waivers Saturday at 5p.m. ET. Sources told ESPN‘s Marc Stein that Johnson had narrowed his list to Miami, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.
Cavaliers star LeBron James said Friday, via ESPN‘s Dave McMenamin, that Cleveland was interested in signing Johnson. “He knows that we want him. I mean, he’s a great piece for any team, and if we’re lucky enough to get him, he brings something to us. If not, we have enough here to compete.”
Instead, Johnson is headed to the Heat, where he figures to get a lot of playing time with injuries to Tyler Johnson and Beno Udrih. Miami is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 25 games left to play in the season.
Johnson averaged 11.8 points and shot 37.1 percent from 3-point range in 33.9 minutes per game for the Nets. A seven-time All-Star, Johnson helps fill the need for shooters on Miami’s roster.