Warriors, Celtics Considered Favorites For Joe Johnson

The Warriors and Celtics will be the favorites to sign Joe Johnson if he receives a buyout from the Kings, tweets Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. Johnson, who was acquired from the Jazz in a three-team trade this afternoon, is expected to ask for a buyout and Mannix believes Sacramento will grant him one.

Johnson is making a little more than $10.5MM in the final season of a two-year contract. With about a third of the season remaining, it will be interesting to see how much money he is willing to give up to join a contender. This is a familiar position for Johnson, who agreed to a buyout with the Nets two years ago and signed with the Heat for a playoff run.

Either Boston or Golden State would have to open up room for the roster before signing Johnson. The Celtics are at 14 players right now, but are expected to sign free agent center Greg Monroe before tonight’s game.

Johnson missed part of the season with a wrist injury, but has averaged 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 32 games. He offers both versatility and playoff experience and will receive plenty of offers once the buyout is complete.

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