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After losing Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers, the Toronto Raptors have agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal with Stanley Johnson, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The second year of the deal is a player option.
Johnson, 23, will have a fresh start and an excellent opportunity to develop in the Raptors system. He has become a strong defender in his NBA career so far. https://t.co/KWwmp2fc4c
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 6, 2019
Johnson, 23, hit the open market after the New Orleans Pelicans declined to extend him a qualifying offer.
The former Wildcat averaged 5.3 points in 13.7 minutes per game in New Orleans after being traded by the Detroit Pistons, who selected Johnson eighth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Johnson has struggled to find a role offensively in the NBA, averaging 7.0 points per game with a .374/.293/.764 shooting line for his career, never averaging more than 8.7 points per game in a season. But as Charania noted, Johnson has earned a reputation for being a solid defender.
While the Raptors will enter the 2019-20 season as the defending champions, they are no longer viewed as a title contender after losing Leonard, the 2019 Finals MVP, in free agency.