Miami Heat: 3 more under-the-radar free agents the Heat should target

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Stanley Johnson inevitably came under close scrutiny, much like No. 9 pick Frank Kaminsky, when highly-touted Duke star Justise Winslow was left untaken. Johnson and Winslow, who both played on the wing at the time, were endlessly compared by Heat and Pistons fans alike during their first season and into their second seasons.

This is where Johnson’s career went off the rails. Johnson had put up a promising rookie season, averaging 8.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 46 percent true-shooting as a 19-year old. In his sophomore NBA year however, Johnson experienced what is known as a “sophomore slump”, where he finished the season averaging 4.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 43.6 percent true-shooting and 35.3 percent from the field.

Johnson faced what seemed like an endless amount of time in the G-League and just seemed like he could never figure it out. Although Johnson did have many impressive flashes in his stint with the Pistons, he was ultimately traded to the Pelicans at this years trade deadline.

The former No. 8 overall pick was not extended the qualifying offer this summer, so he will end up as an unrestricted free agent. The likelihood is that Johnson ends up on a team that needs wing depth and is in contention for the NBA finals, such as the Houston Rockets or the Philadelphia 76ers, who needs all the depth they can get as the Sixers had the most projected free agents of any team in the league.

Before I go on to why Johnson would consider the Miami Heat, consider that even in Summer League, Johnson was one of the most energetic and dynamic defenders on the court at all times. There is a well-known story involving Johnson in which a player went so far as to ask why Johnson was defending him so tightly. This alone shows that Johnson has the work ethic that the Heat staff loves to see from its players.

Miami also offers one of the best chances for redemption in the entire league, having brought up many of their players through the G-League, and saving the careers of James Johnson, Dion Waiters, Hassan Whiteside and many, many more. Johnson could opt to join the Heat’s young core and establish himself as one of the better perimeter defenders in the entire league.