Tyler Johnson
After Tyler Johnson went undrafted in the 2014 draft and signed multiple 10-day contracts, the Fresno State alum found a stable home when he signed a two-year deal with the Miami Heat. It was a reasonable deal, especially given the potential he showed, netting Johnson $5.6 million in year one and $5.9 million in year two.
Then came the Brooklyn Nets, who offered him a $50 million contract over four years. The billionaire owner of the Heat, Micky Arison (yes, the same Micky Arison who let Dwyane Wade leave and sign with the Chicago Bulls in 2016), decided that he needed Johnson and matched Brooklyn’s offer to remain with the team.
This deal came in the summer where every player was signing astronomical contracts due to the current labor deal that allotted roughly $3 billion to players. So you can’t really blame the Tyler Johnson’s, the Timofey Mozgov’s, or the Kent Bazemore’s of the world for cashing in. Who wouldn’t?
(Don’t lie. You would so take that loot too.)
While Johnson’s scoring has improved with his increased minutes per game, they don’t justify the obscene salary of his contract, nor has he really separated himself from the other previously mentioned overpaid, underperforming players. His contract joins the long list of salary woes that the Heat aren’t currently dealing with, and are actively trying to dump.
Johnson’s salary is higher than proven NBA players like Klay Thompson ($18.9 million), Draymond Green ($17.4 million), and teammate Goran Dragic ($18.1 million). He’s stated that he didn’t want to be known for the amount of money he’s paid but only wanted to show people that he could ball.
Well it looks like it’s time for No. 8 to show out and put his money where his mouth is.