Celtics Sign Free Agents Amir Johnson, Jonas Jerebko
By Leo Koukakis
The Boston Celtics signed their first couple free agents of the summer, but they weren’t who most fans were hoping for. They signed Amir Johnson to a 2 year $24 million contract with a non guaranteed second year, and resigned Jonas Jerebko to a 2 year contract worth $10 million.
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I absolutely love the Jerebko signing. He really seemed to thrive in the pick in roll offense on the second unit with Isaiah running the point. He showed plenty of effort on both sides of the ball, and was signed to a reasonable contract. However, I’m not nearly as pleased with the Amir Johnson contract.
Johnson started 72 games for the Raptors last season, but only managed to average 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He showed nice range shooting 41% from deep last season, but only shot 30% the year before. The best thing about him is his defense. He is not afraid to bang with other bigs in the paint, but is an undersized power forward.
I’m not upset with the signing of Johnson, but the contract seems like a bit much. He really is not a $12 million a year type of guy, and the two highest paid players on the team are now he and Gerald Wallace. Danny may see him as the type of guy that has the potential to help the squad, but also as a big contract that could help the numbers match up if they can find a trade for a superstar.
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As for looking for a superstar in free agency, things aren’t going the Celtics way. It seems more and more likekly that Aldridge is on his way to the Spurs, and Kevin Love is about to re-sign with the Cavaliers. The only best news of free agency thus far has been the Magic’s unwillingness to offer Tobias Harris a max contract, and the Celtics being the front-runner to land him.
Jerbko and Johnson were not the free agents Celtics fans hoped Boston would sign today, but they do have potential to have a positive impact. Jerbko’s hustle plays on defense paired with his ability to stretch the defense on the other end should continue to provide a spark off the bench, and Amir Johnson’s physicality on defense paired with his offensive versatility should help a bit. That being said, lets stayed tuned to see what else Danny has up his sleeve.