Nobody expected Joe Johnson to stick with the Kings for too long after his deadline day trade. He was an obvious buyout candidate considering his desire to play with a contender. Which contender would Johnson choose was the question.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the team he has chosen will be the Rockets. Johnson and the Kings have reportedly reached an agreement on a buyout and he will sign with the Rockets for the rest of the season. Johnson, at 36 years old, has had a very long career but he probably doesn't have many minutes left in him. Mike D'Antoni coached Johnson in Phoenix and might be able to get some extra mileage out of him.
The Kings buyout for Joe Johnson is complete now, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2018
Joe Johnson has committed to signing with Houston once his buyout is complete with Sacramento, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2018
Johnson struggled in his final season in Utah, scoring a career-low 7.3 points per game and shooting 27 percent from the field. The Rockets will be looking to see if their faster paced and more 3-point-heavy lineups will be able to bring his shooting back to him. He's a career 37 percent shooter from beyond the arc and it's rare to see someone fall off as quickly as he did.
If anything, Johnson will at least be able to provide some depth to an already stacked Rockets roster. Considering how well Houston has played all season, that should be all it needs from him.