Amir Johnson continues to struggle, so is it time for the Philadelphia 76ers to look at using his contract as a trade chip?
It seems that Brett Brown is ready to ride (or die) with Amir Johnson as the Philadelphia 76ers‘ primary backup center this season. Whether it’s experience or monetary commitments, the 30-year-old has continued to get minutes over Richaun Holmes despite his noticable gaps in production.
Johnson is clearly the biggest (and strongest) reserve in Philly’s frontcourt depth chart, but he hasn’t done much with that size this season. He looks a step slow defensively and can’t seem to find his role offensively. He’s too grounded in the paint, and hasn’t shown any semblance of a reliable 3-point shot — something many hoped would translate from his tenure in Boston.
Holmes is thinner, but he’s also more mobile and, at least right now, more skilled on offense. He’s stretching the floor reasonably well and is an easy lob target around the rim for Ben Simmons. Johnson struggles to get up shots up in the post.
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The limitations in Johnson’s game were even more evident last night, with newcomer Trevor Booker outplaying him by a considerable margin. Booker brings some of the same interior strength that Johnson does, with additional mobility and energy that Amir doesn’t seem capable of giving.
Booker put together 12 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes against Cleveland, making some impressive hustle plays and shining in his Sixers debut. Without Embiid in the rotation, Holmes also played 20 minutes to the tune of 13 points. In 21 minutes (and the starting role), Johnson had two points and two rebounds.
Johnson has had his flashes this year, but this has been an overwhelmingly consistent trend. Johnson is getting outplayed by Holmes when the latter is given an opportunity, and Booker will likely add to that in his playing time as well. Booker was an occasional starter in Brooklyn, and averaged 10.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game during his time in NYC this year.
At this point, it’s more than fair to ask whether or not Johnson should be traded. It feels like Booker will eventually win out in terms of playing time given his combination of strength, agility and energy, and Holmes should quickly follow as the backup. They’re giving Johnson $11 million, but he simply isn’t playing well enough to deserve minutes over those two.
That $11 million could still come in handy, though. One-year, money-cleansing deals are always big around the trade deadline, and any number of teams could use take on Johnson’s contract as a way to shed some cap space this summer.
Whether that means getting an asset from a contender or a rebuilding team, Johnson’s name should be floated around more than one general manager’s office at this point in the season.
Johnson’s pedigree alone should earn him some credit around the league. He has always been an advanced statistics darling, with defensive smarts and a knack for making the right play on offense. He hasn’t seemed capable of providing that same boost this season, but perhaps a team like Cleveland (or Boston!?) might think they can unearth it.
Amir has played quality basketball for playoff-caliber teams for most of his career, and he’s only 30. He just isn’t playing up to par right now, and the Sixers — with more capable reserves behind him — need to think about maxing out his value before letting him walk this offseason.
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Depth might be an issue with Booker’s deal expiring this offseason as well, but the 2018 NBA Draft (hello, Lakers pick) and free agency should cover that.