Player exit review: James Johnson embodied Miami Heat culture
By Rob Slater
Where Do We Go From Here?
James Johnson will undoubtedly figure into the Heat’s offseason plans as the unrestricted free agent appears, initially, to be a priority for the team.
In his end of season press conference, team president Pat Riley expressed his admiration for Johnson (as well as other standout Dion Waiters), saying, “I hope that Dion and James and the rest of our free agents like it here enough that we’re going to be fair with them and they’re going to be fair with us.”
For his part, Johnson seems to want to stay with the Heat. “I’m home,” he said after the season. “That’s what it feels like. I love it here. We had a great season. I love the culture here. I’m very passionate about this place.”
Johnson even expressed a desire to sit down with Riley and Waiters to find ways under the salary cap to bring both players back and add a top-tier free agent like Gordon Hayward, Blake Griffin or Chris Paul.
The reality is that no one could’ve predicted career years from players signed simply out of the need to fill out the roster in the wake of a retooling gone horribly wrong. But the Heat now have some tough decisions to make and James Johnson is at the top of that list.
And there is also the wildcard that is the other 29 teams in the league, some of which will surely gauge Johnson’s interest on a long term deal. Much like Luol Deng and Joe Johnson last year, it’s certainly possible that James is offered a lucrative deal elsewhere.
Next: Free agent replacements in case James Johnson leaves
But if he’s serious about working with the Heat within their cap space to stay in Miami while also making room for another potential star, James Johnson will be a fixture of the next era of Miami Heat basketball.