Celtics Reportedly Signing Joe Johnson To 10-Day Contract
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics are bringing back a blast from the past to fill out their COVID-stricken roster. Boston is reportedly signing Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Johnson first entered the NBA as a member of the Celtics back in 2001, when the team drafted him with the 10th overall pick. The 40-year-old hasn't played in the NBA since the 2017-18 season, when he appeared in 55 games between the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets.
But Johnson had an incredible 17-year NBA career where he earned seven All-Star nods, including six straight for the Atlanta Hawks from 2006-07 through 2011-12. Johnson averaged 16 points per game for his career, with five seasons where he averaged over 20 per contest, hitting 44 percent of his shots overall and 37 percent from downtown.
He played in just 48 games as a rookie for Boston before Rick Pitino traded him to Phoenix (along with Randy Brown, Milt Palacio and a first-round pick) for veterans Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk. He'd play three seasons with the Suns before his seven-year run in Atlanta, with the Hawks making the playoffs in five of his seasons with the team. Johnson has also played for the Nets, the Heat, the Jazz and the Rockets during his NBA career, and in 2019, was named the MVP of the BIG3 league after leading his team -- The Triplets -- to a championship.
Now Johnson is back where it all started. "Iso Joe" will give Boston another scoring option off the bench, and someone else to stretch the floor, Wednesday night against the Cavaliers. The Celtics have ruled out seven players for the contest due to NBA Health & Safety Protocols.
