On Wednesday, the Brooklyn Nets waived Keon Johnson, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The 21st overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft is coming off the most productive campaign of his career. Johnson generated 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. He established new personal bests in scoring and rebounding, and matched that when it comes to picking opponents' pockets.
The six-foot-five guard has played on three teams in four years. He spent the last two seasons in Brooklyn, with a franchise that's rebuilding. Johnson only appeared in five games during the 2023-24 campaign. However, last season, he received his most significant opportunity to grow his game.
Johnson appeared in 79 tilts, starting in 56 of them. He averaged 24.4 minutes of floor time. That gave him a chance to showcase his scoring prowess and that he's more of a two-way player than perhaps given credit for.
Now, he'll look for a fresh start elsewhere as he works to build off his career year.
Should the Celtics sign Keon Johnson?
The former Tennessee Volunteers standout has good size for a guard, and he's only 23. He parlayed his first crack at a consistent opportunity into a season where he averaged double-digit scoring and a steal per contest. He represents an intriguing low-cost signing for any team, not just the Boston Celtics.
However, in this author's opinion, the Celtics are probably better off not infringing on the minutes available to those on their roster who are fighting to prove themselves.
If Johnson is good enough to sign with Boston shortly before training camp and leapfrog players like Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and this year's first-round pick, Hugo Gonzalez, that's a reflection of where that trio is in their development. That has different implications for each of them.
It would be surprising to see Johnson rise above Scheierman in the rotation. However, Gonzalez is raw. He needs reps to adjust to a dramatically different play style and NBA competition. Some of that seasoning might take place with the team's G League affiliate in Maine.
As for Walsh, this is a make-or-break year for his career. He's coming off an encouraging Summer League performance. He must build off that. The Celtics invested the 38th overall pick and two years of development into the six-foot-six wing.
Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear created a massive void in minutes. Those will get distributed among multiple players. His injury also influenced Boston's personnel decisions. The combination gives Walsh as good a chance as he can ask for to prove he is part of the franchise's future.
The Celtics could benefit from adding another ball handler who can effectively initiate the offense. However, that's not Johnson's game. He is more of a scoring threat, operating off the ball.
He could turn a chance in Boston into a multi-year stint with the organization. However, his arrival would create less of an opportunity to see what the team has in a cluster of players already on the roster. The decision to sign him would seem like a signal about how the franchise feels about at least one member of that group.