The shooting guard has been held back by several injuries in his young basketball career
THE Phoenix Suns have reportedly waived guard Keon Johnson as part of final roster cuts ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season’s tip-off.
The former first-round pick joined the Suns as part of the blockbuster three-team Damian Lillard trade last month.
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The Phoenix Suns have reportedly waived shooting guard Keon JohnsonCredit: 2023 NBAE
With the Suns sending Deandre Ayton to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Lillard deal, Johnson, 21, landed in Phoenix alongside Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, and Nassir Little.
The shooting guard made five appearances for the Western Conference powerhouse in the 2023 preseason, clocking 13.7 minutes per night.
He averaged 4.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 33.3% from the field and 20.0 for 3.
But the Suns are reportedly planning to waive Johnson, trimming their 2023-24 roster down to the required number of 15 players on guaranteed contracts, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Phoenix will owe the ex-Tennessee standout $2.8 million this season if he’s not claimed off waivers by another team.
The 6-foot-5 guard signed a four-year, $12.5 million deal after being selected by the LA Clippers with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The contract includes a $4.5 million team option for 2024-25.
Johnson played in just 15 games for the Clippers before the team traded him to Portland during his rookie year.
In 62 regular-season appearances for the Blazers, he averaged 6.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.
He also shot 36.2% from the field and 34.6% from downtown.
The guard’s 2022-23 season got cut short after he broke his finger in late March.
Johnson has been held back by numerous injuries in his basketball career.
Just before he started high school, the guard nearly saw his playing days coming to an abrupt end after a freak fireworks incident.
Johnson narrowly avoided hand amputation in the aftermath of the accident.
As a senior, the would-be five-star prospect tore his meniscus early into the season, ending his high school career.
