Though Amir Johnson sat behind one of the most talented young frontcourt duos across the whole NBA in Dario Saric and Joel Embiid last season, he provided valuable minutes when he did play.
Johnson also logged 18 starts last season, and the 76ers had no intention of letting the big man walk this summer in free agency. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Johnson will re-sign with the Sixers on a one-year deal.
Free agent Amir Johnson is finalizing a one-year deal to return to the 76ers, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 4, 2018
Though he wasn’t the most involved in Philly’s rotation, Amir Johnson was invaluable to the 76ers in more ways than one last season. With a team loaded with young talent, Johnson along with J.J. Redick were two of the only veteran presences on the roster.
Both Johnson and Redick were slated to hit free agency this summer but the Sixers will now bring both of them back after Redick re-signed earlier in the week. Along with retaining Johnson and Redick, the Sixers also completed a deal with the Denver Nuggets that landed them 31-year-old Wilson Chandler.
With those three veterans now in place, the Sixers will hope that experience mixed with their exciting youth takes them over the top and earns them an Eastern Conference crown in 2019.
