Former Lakers Forward Signs Overseas in Turkey

Ricardo Sandoval | Aug 19, 2024

Apr 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Stanley Johnson (14) moves the ball against Denver Nuggets center DeMarcus Cousins (4) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward and NBA lottery pick Stanley Johnson has signed a deal with the Turkish club Anadolu Efes, the team announced.

🇺🇸 Stanley Johnson#BenimYerimBurası pic.twitter.com/IAQKbUHnHz

— Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) August 12, 2024

The former No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft will head to Turkey after spending the 2023-24 season with the Stockton Kings in the NBA G League.

Johnson spent one season with the purple and gold during the 2021-22 season. In 48 games, he averaged 22.8 minutes, 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0,9 steals per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from behind the arc.

After the 2022 season, Johnson was traded to the Utah Jazz alongside Talen Horton-Tucker in exchange for defensive-minded guard Patrick Beverley. The Jazz waived Johnson less than two months after the trade.

It's been a whirlwind of a career for the 28-year-old after he came into the league with much promise. The Detroit Pistons thought they drafted their next superstar in the making when they selected him with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. However, for one reason or another, he could never reach those heights as a lottery pick.

Johnson could never find his footing with the Pistons, who ultimately traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2019 NBA trade deadline. Since then, he's bounced around from team to team and has spent some time in the G League.

Johnson has played with the Toronto Raptors, Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs in the span of four years.

In Johnson's eight-year career, he has recorded 6.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from deep in 449 NBA games and 104 career starts.

Coming out of powerhouse high school in Southern California, Mater Dei, and attending the University of Arizona, Johnson was set to be the next big thing in the NBA. He had the speed, strength, size, and do-it-all ability to be a great NBA player.

Johnson was one of the more accomplished high school and collegiate players, although he only spent one year in Arizona. The Anaheim native won the Julius Erving Award, was named First-Team All-Pac-12, a Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team member, a McDonald All-American, and the California Mr. Basketball in his senior year.

Johnson will now continue his professional basketball career overseas in the EuroLeague.

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