Former NBA Lottery Pick Stanley Johnson Signs In Turkey

Former NBA lottery pick Stanley Johnson has agreed to a contract with Turkish club Anadolu Efes, the team announced.

Johnson, 28, is 6-foot-6 and has played both forward spots in the NBA. He spent last season with the Stockton Kings in the G League.

Before that, he spent time with the Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs from 2015-23. His most recent NBA stop came with San Antonio, in which he appeared in 30 games and averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists, shooting 53% from the field and 45% on 3-pointers.

Johnson was originally selected by the Pistons with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.  He worked out for the Golden State Warriors last September before the Kings acquired him in a G League trade in February. He most recently worked out with the Philadelphia 76ers in June.

While he’s never lived up to his lofty expectations, Johnson is a pretty decent wing defender and carries NBA career averages of 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds — though is shooting just 39% from the field (and 30% on 3-pointers).

“Playing for Team USA in the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers, Johnson carries international experience to his new team. Representing the United States at the junior level, he was the most valuable player of the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship and won a gold medal,” wrote Johnny Aksounis of Europhoops. “More contributions to gold-medal showings extended to the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship and the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.”