Veteran shooting guard Joe Johnson parlayed his time in the BIG3 league into a deal with the Detroit Pistons, Yahoo (NASDAQ:AABA) Sports reported Thursday.
To make room on the roster, the Pistons will waive forward Michael Beasley, who reached a deal on a one-year contract in August.
Johnson was named the 2019 MVP of the BIG3 league, which pits former NBA players in games of 3-on-3. Johnson played for the Triplets, which won the most recent BIG3 championship under head coach Lisa Leslie.
At 38, Johnson will return to the NBA, where he last played for the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets in the 2017-18 season. The 16-year veteran has played for the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Jazz and Rockets, while making seven All-Star Game appearances, his last in 2013-14 with the Nets.
Johnson, the 10th overall selection in the 2001 NBA Draft, has averaged 16.0 points per game over 1,276 games played, scoring a career-best 25.0 points in the 2006-07 season with the Hawks.
Beasley, 30, has played 11 NBA seasons, appearing in 26 games with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. The second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Beasley has averaged 12.4 points per game over 609 career games with the Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Suns, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Rockets and Lakers.
--Field Level Media