Former Bucks draft pick AJ Johnson quietly moved to his fourth team when he was traded Wednesday to the Grizzlies. Johnson was unequivocally a bust for Milwaukee, but the Grizzlies could unlock a new version of him by providing more opportunity. While the current Bucks roster is deep with young guards, the Grizzlies are relatively lacking in that position and Johnson could take advantage to fill the void.
AJ Johnson never got a fair shot in Milwaukee
Despite only having played two seasons so far, Johnson has already suited up for 3 teams and is now on the verge of joining his fourth. His only real opportunity came with the Wizards during his rookie year after the Bucks abruptly traded him there. He would go on to average 27 minutes per game in 22 appearances, including 11 starts, with Washington during that campaign.
But Johnson's selection to Milwaukee and trade to the Wizards both ended up being development failures for the Bucks. As usual, the Bucks failed to make the right draft pick or cultivate their young talent. The worst part of the whole debacle might be the fact that Johnson was packaged along with Bucks icon Khris Middleton to net Kyle Kuzma in return.
From the start, Johnson was considered a reach selection when the Bucks took him with the 23rd overall pick. But Milwaukee also did nothing to help him grow during his brief time on the team. He only played in 7 of the Bucks' first 49 games that season, averaging just 6 minutes per appearance, before getting shipped out.
Hopefully the Bucks learned some developmental lessons along the way and will handle their current young prospects better. Considering how much of the Bucks rebuild relies on developing guard play, they need to make sure they don't repeat their mistakes with Johnson again.
Johnson could still have untapped potential
Unfortunately, Johnson has never flashed the potential to be a productive NBA player at any stop so far. However, he retains the potential that originally got him drafted in the first round. He's still a 6'5" guard with a 6'8" wingspan that could be a deadly scorer and playmaker if he puts it all together.
He's never been able to put together enough consistency to earn minutes yet, but the Grizzlies could focus more developmental efforts towards him. If he ever reaches anything close to his potential, it'll be a huge win for the Grizzlies as a trade throw-in. Hopefully, Johnson can salvage his NBA career in Memphis on a rebuilding team desperate for more guard depth.
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