Tyler Johnson Reportedly Waived by Suns, Will Be UFA After Clearing Waivers

The Phoenix Suns have reportedly waived guard Tyler Johnson, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. 

Johnson will hit the market as an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers. He is still owed $7 million of his $19.25 million salary for 2019-20, per Wojnarowski.

Johnson, 27, has had a tough year, averaging 5.7 points and 1.6 assists while shooting just 38.0 percent from the field and a woeful 28.9 percent from three-point range. That pushed him down the depth chart at guard behind Devin Booker, Ricky Rubio, Elie Okobo and Jevon Carter. 

He spent parts of five seasons with the Miami Heat before he was traded to the Suns last year, and he has been a different—and, quite frankly, worse—player since that deal:

• Miami average stats (257 games): 11.0 PPG, 2.5 APG, 43.7 field-goal percentage, 36.7 three-point percentage.
• Phoenix average stats (44 games): 7.3 PPG, 2.4 APG, 37.5 field-goal percentage, 30.2 three-point percentage. 

It's hard to imagine Johnson suddenly just became an inferior basketball player because of the desert air. 

His numbers during his Miami days could entice contenders looking for guard help to give him a shot down the stretch. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers have been linked to combo guards on the market, and with Darren Collison staying retired, both teams could take a long look at Johnson if he hits free agency.

He should find a suitor for the stretch run. If he doesn't improve his level of play from what he showed in Phoenix, however, he may not get many more shots beyond that.