Rockets Sign Joe Johnson

The Rockets have officially signed veteran forward Joe Johnson, the team announced today in a press release. In a corresponding transaction, the club waived Troy Williams, a move that appeared to be the subject of some debate in Houston’s front office.

There were reports prior to the trade deadline that Johnson, who was in the final season of a two-year contract, wanted out of Utah, and the Jazz accommodated that desire, sending him to the Kings in a deadline-day deal. Shortly after he landed with Sacramento, Johnson negotiated a buyout, reportedly agreeing to surrender $1MM of his $10.5MM salary.

The veteran will earn a little less than that in Houston, signing a minimum salary deal that will pay him about $750K, with the Rockets taking on a $474K cap hit. However, Johnson’s new team should give him a legit chance to contend for a title.

Johnson struggled this year in Utah, averaging a career-worst 7.3 PPG to go along with 3.3 RPG and a shooting line of .420/.274/.833. Still, his career résumé and his extensive postseason experience made him an intriguing low-cost target for playoff teams.

Johnson is expected to be active on Wednesday night against the Kings, technically his previous team. Johnson seems unlikely to be a difference-maker in that game, so Houston could have waited until after the All-Star break to finalize his deal, but that would have cost him over $100K in salary. Considering the Warriors, Celtics, and Thunder were also believed to be in the running for Johnson, the Rockets were likely happy to guarantee the 36-year-old that extra money by getting their deal done right away.