8-Year Veteran A Free Agent Once Again

His tenacious, bulldog style on defense makes him a fan favorite wherever he goes. Now eight-year veteran Stanley Johnson will be looking for his next NBA home, as he's been cut loose by the San Antonio Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs are releasing forward Stanley Johnson, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Johnson had a strong stint for the Spurs this season, shooting 45 percent from 3-point range, and will now look to join a postseason contender.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 12, 2023

Johnson had signed with the Spurs in mid-December. And as NBA Insider Shams Charania notes, he actually fared quite well for the Spurs, shooting threes (albeit in very little volume) at 45%, while averaging 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench in his 30 games played.

Known as 'The Stanimal' for his aggressive play on defense, Johnson came into the league as a lottery pick by the Detroit Pistons, at No. 8 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. He spent 3½ years there before moving on to the New Orleans Pelicans, followed by the Toronto Raptors for two seasons, then a rousing run for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. They dealt him to Utah in the Patrick Beverley trade last offseason, and the Jazz subsequently waived him.

The Lakers are rumored to possibly have interest in bringing Johnson back, though the rules about whether they can are murky.

In the case of Stanley Johnson, he was traded from LAL to UTA, and the Jazz as the assignee team waived him. Had they traded him to a third team that then waived him, the 3rd team would not be the assignee team, circumventing the restriction
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) February 12, 2023