Joe Johnson Trade Rumors: Jazz SG 'Angling' for Move Before Deadline

Veteran swingman Joe Johnson is "angling behind the scenes for a trade out of Utah," according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.

Stein added that it will be "interesting to see if he becomes a buyout candidate for contenders should no deal materialize before the Feb. 8 trade buzzer."

Johnson, 36, is averaging 7.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 22 minutes per game, largely coming off the bench. He's appeared in 29 games in total, though a wrist injury early in the season cost him 21 games.

The seven-time All-Star—who averaged at least 16 points for 10 straight seasons in the prime of his career—is now a solid scorer to bring off the bench. With Utah looking unlikely to fight their way into the playoff conversation in the Western Conference, however, it wouldn't be surprising if Johnson tried to work his way onto a contending roster.

The Jazz are currently 22-28, and while the injury to DeMarcus Cousins in New Orleans and the Blake Griffin trade away from the Los Angeles Clippers could open the door for some other teams to sneak into the playoff picture—especially if Griffin was the first domino to drop in an L.A. firesale—Utah has never quite jelled this season after losing Gordon Hayward and George Hill in free agency.

Johnson is unlikely to fetch much in a trade, but it's easy to imagine a number of teams being interested in his services should Utah go the buyout route.