James Johnson is the latest player to sign up for more with the Miami Heat. The team turned him into a serviceable player, one they ideally didn't want to leave during free agency this summer. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, he isn't going anywhere. Just like another member of the team's free agent contingent this offseason, a return to the Florida beaches is in the cards for the next several years.
Johnson makes his return
Wojnarowski broke the news about Johnson's return on Thursday night. In terms of a contract, the most he was able to offer was the length: four years (a separate report suggests that the deal will be for $60 million).
For someone who hadn't even spent four years with a single team over the course of his career - let alone a single contract - it signals an acceptance that Johnson is an everyday contributor in the NBA. For the Heat, it's a measured risk that their guy will continue to play at a high level going forward.
Free agent James Johnson has agreed to the framework of a four-year deal to stay with the Miami Heat, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2017
The former 16th overall pick in the NBA Draft had his best season in the NBA last year. He signed a one-year, $4 million pact with the Heat back in July 2016. He averaged career highs in points (12.8 points per game), rebounds (4.9 boards per game), assists (3.6 assists per game), and three-point accuracy (34.1%).
Some in NBA circles believed that this could have been Johnson's last chance to make it in the league. Now, that probably won't be a problem for him.
Heat continue busy week
Johnson is far from the first person to sign a deal with Miami this week. In fact, team president Pat Riley has had an extremely busy week. Some of the news has been bad for the team.
Chris Bosh officially left the team after a year of tension with the team over his playing future. Additionally, the team failed to sign small forward Gordon Hayward despite being a finalist for his services - he'll be going to the rival Boston Celtics instead.
But on Thursday, they struck right back at the Celtics, signing their former big man Kelly Olynyk to a four-year, $50 million deal.
They also retained shooting guard Dion Waiters the day before, also on a four-year contract. It didn't seem likely at the offset of the summer that the Heat would be able to keep both Johnson and Waiters, so that's a coup for the team. Additionally, with all of the four-year pacts going around this week, the franchise is building up the possibility of continuity for the next half decade as they pursue a return to the playoffs.
