Milwaukee Bucks Rumors: Interest in Miami’s James Johnson
By Adam McGee
The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly interested in Miami Heat forward James Johnson, although he may already be on the move.
The Miami Heat grabbed the headlines with their deal to acquire Andre Iguodala on Wednesday night, but reports suggest the Milwaukee Bucks could have interest in doing their own business with Pat Riley and Co.
There’s still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the exact terms of that Iguodala deal, as the Heat reportedly continue to work on ways to make further additions.
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Justise Winslow is certainly set to be on the move to Memphis, but if the Heat can expand that deal to include the Oklahoma City Thunder and bring in Danilo Gallinari, there would then be a need for additional outgoings.
One such player who could find himself leaving South Beach in that scenario is veteran forward James Johnson, and according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Bucks are reportedly among one of a number of teams said to be interested if he doesn’t end up as a piece in that pre-existing deal.
As we await clarity on who's going to Memphis in Iguodola deal, am told there has been some interest in James Johnson elsewhere, with Bucks, Rockets, Wolves among those mentioned. JJ among several Heat players whose name has come up in trade talks.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) February 6, 2020
Once a stalwart of Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, Johnson’s role has been greatly reduced so far this season. Johnson has played just 18 games so far this season, and had a lengthy absence away from the team earlier in the campaign too.
Johnson hasn’t been involved in the Heat’s last two games, but had played 11 consecutive games before that, possibly in an attempt to put him in the shop window for teams around the NBA ahead of the deadline.
The Bucks are more than familiar with Johnson, having done battle with him in the East for a number of years. Notably, Johnson has at times been one of the better defenders in the NBA when it comes to slowing down Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Given the Bucks’ considerable strength in the frontcourt, though, a deal for Johnson would appear to make little sense unless it was part of a larger series of moves that leaves the roster in need of further re-shaping. In its own right, that kind of approach would seem particularly far-fetched from a Bucks’ perspective given their dominance to this point in the season.
Another very notable complication in any potential deal for Johnson would come in the form of his salary. Beyond this season, Johnson has a costly player option for $16 million on the cards for next year. Not only does that mean that constructing a deal in the present would be very difficult from a salary matching perspective, it’s also a deal that would further hinder the Bucks’ restrictive salary outlook for the summer and beyond.
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The Bucks may well be interested in Johnson, but this could well be a name worth keeping in mind if via Miami, Memphis, Oklahoma City, or elsewhere, he ultimately gets bought out and becomes a free agent in the weeks ahead.