Rapid Reaction: Joe Johnson to sign with Detroit Pistons, Michael Beasley “released”

Seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson will reportedly sign a deal to join the Detroit Pistons for the 2019-20 season and Michael Beasley will be “released.”

After collecting a MVP award and Big3 championship, Joe Johnson has landed a NBA contract with the Detroit Pistons.

On Thursday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Johnson will sign with the Detroit Pistons.

Johnson, 38, drew interest from several teams including the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets after an impressive performance in the Big3, but ultimately decided to join the Pistons after meeting with the team on Wednesday.

Johnson will likely serve in a limited role for Detroit if he makes the final cut, bolstering a second unit that has lacked depth and scoring ability. He enjoyed a successful NBA career where he averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game on 44.1 percent shooting from the field and 37.1 percent from three.

While there are concerns surrounding Johnson’s age and ability to produce at this stage of his career, his Big3-leading 21.9 points per game was enough to convince multiple teams that he could still be a valuable addition to an NBA roster.

Johnson’s signing means that forward Michael Beasley will be no longer be included on the roster. Although Detroit announced its intention to sign Beasley in August, the move was never formalized, so Detroit will not have to submit a waiver request according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Johnson will likely compete against Christian Wood for the 15th and final roster spot. Wood, 23, averaged 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in eight games with the New Orleans Pelicans last season while impressing in the Gatorade League.

Detroit has a clear need at both the backup center and small forward positions. While Wood brings more upside as a prospect, Johnson’s skill set and abilities are well-established.

However, Johnson’s effectiveness plunged at the end of his career. At age 36 — during his final season in the NBA — Johnson averaged 6.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on 40.6 percent shooting from the field and a paltry 27.6 percent from three.

Now, at age 38, Johnson would return to the NBA two years removed from NBA experience and two years further from his prime.

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Detroit will have to closely evaluate both Wood and Johnson to determine who would add more value to the Pistons rotation. Additionally, positional need will also factor into the front office’s decision.

While Detroit lacks a true backup center, many assume that Thon Maker will be awarded the role in the absence of another signing. At small forward, however, the Pistons are in desperate need of depth. Although Detroit signed Tony Snell to assume the starting role, there is no clear backup at this point.

If signed, Johnson would compete for this role and for minutes at both the small forward and shooting guard position.

Detroit’s front office will have some important personnel decisions to make before the start of the season, and the signing of Joe Johnson only makes things more interesting.

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