Joe Johnson On Signing With Miami Heat: ‘I Just Felt It Was Right’

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Before veteran guard Joe Johnson was bought out by the Brooklyn Nets, the rumors began to swirl around the league about potential suitors for his services once he parted ways with the team. The Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers were thought to be the clear favorite to sign Johnson, but that didn’t turn out to be the case.

The Miami Heat were one of many teams interested in Johnson’s services once he became available. Although Miami is one of the more talented teams in the league, the Heat aren’t exactly considered title contenders nor a desirable destination for an aging veteran.

Johnson agreeing to sign with the Heat left many scratching their heads for an answer. The 34-year-old provided that answer earlier this week saying the following about why he chose Miami over other potential destinations via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN:

“Man, I had a connection with a lot of guys here,” Johnson said prior to playing at Madison Square Garden with his new team. “D-Wade, [Amar’e Stoudemire], UD [Udonis Haslem], guys I’ve been in contact with. Not just throughout this process, but over the years, and I just felt it was right.”

With Johnson in the fold, the Heat will attempt to make a run in the East come playoff time. Miami is currently sitting in the fourth seed in the conference with the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Cavaliers ahead of them in the standings.

After the departure of LeBron James in 2014, the consensus was Miami would become a mediocre team in the league once again with an aging Dwyane Wade leading the way.

Last year, the Heat appeared to be heading in that direction. Fortunately, Pat Riley and company remained resilient adding players like Johnson, Goran Dragic, Justice Winslow, Luol Deng, Hassan Whiteside, Gerald Green, and Amare Stoudemire into the mix along with Wade and Chris Bosh.