Joe Johnson becomes first player to land NBA deal after playing in BIG3
Joe Johnson spent a season in the BIG3 last year where he led the league in several offensive categories en route to an MVP award, and the performance was enough to convince an NBA team that he can still contribute.
Johnson has agreed to a one-year deal with the Detroit Pistons that is partially guaranteed, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Joe Johnson, a seven-time All-Star, is the first player to land an NBA deal out of Ice Cube’s BIG3 league. Johnson is a reigning BIG3 championship and MVP award-winner. https://t.co/ZVvwUzDjI9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 12, 2019
Johnson, a seven-time NBA All-Star, played with the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz during the 2017-18 season before he signed with the BIG3. He averaged 6.8 points per game over 55 games in his time between the two teams. Johnson, who turned 38 in June, has averaged 16.0 points per game during his NBA career.
Johnson led the Triplets to a BIG3 championship, and he is the first player from the league to sign an NBA contract. There was talk recently that he was working out for several top contending teams, so he may have had options to choose from.
