During his five seasons in the NBA, former lottery pick Wesley Johnson has played for three different teams. Although Johnson was considered a promising young player out of Syracuse, the veteran forward has been unable to find a stable job in the NBA for more than two years.
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Heading into the off-season this summer, Johnson will become a free agent once again with an uncertain future ahead. Johnson recently talked about heading into free agency for a third straight year and how the frustration is starting to mount, via Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
“It’s frustrating,” he said in an interview. “It’s one of those things you’ve just got to continue to play whenever you do get to a team. I try to go out there and prove myself. Going into the off-season, we’ll see what happens. It is frustrating, though.”
Last summer, Johnson agreed to a one-year deal with the Lakers for a second straight season. Despite averaging career-high numbers across the board under former head coach Mike D’Antoni, Johnson was unable to make enough of an impression to merit a long-term deal with the Lakers or any other team for that matter.
Johnson appears to be in exactly the same situation this summer as he was last year. Although given ample opportunity to prove his worth this season with plenty of time on the floor, Johnson has been a bit of disappointment once again.
With the Lakers brass looking to make a splash in free agency and add young players through the NBA draft, Johnson might not be in the team’s plans moving forward. It remains to be seen whether the 27-year-old forward will continue wearing the purple and gold or head elsewhere as a free agent come July 1.
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