The Boston Celtics have made their first big move of the offseason, agreeing to commit eight figures in each of the next two seasons to 28-year-old forward Amir Johnson.
The deal will net the former Toronto Raptors big $24 million in total, a source confirmed to Comcast SportsNet New England's A. Sherrod Blakely.
A 6'9 power forward, Johnson may see time at center. Blakely explains that despite not being a shot blocking force, Johnson is a strong rim protector and interior defender.
Offensively, while Johnson has averaged just 7.6 points per game in his career, he's had more success over the last three seasons, combining for 9.9. He has a strong career field goal percentage of .574.
Although he could be an impact player on this team, the $12 million average annual value makes him the highest-paid Celtic - above even the albatross Gerald Wallace contract acquired to facilitate the trade of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to the Nets for a treasure trove of first-round draft picks.
But the Wallace contract expires after this year. For this season, the Celtics were nearly $25 million under the projected salary cap, and a large trade exception allows them to eclipse that number.
