PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns completed a trade with the Miami Heat today, acquiring guard Tyler Johnson and guard Wayne Ellington in exchange for forward Ryan Anderson.
Johnson, a 6-4, 190-pound guard, is averaging 10.8 points on 42.6 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent from three-point range plus 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 44 games with the Heat this season. In the month of December, Johnson shot 50 percent (27-of-54) from three-point range, the third-highest mark in the NBA for the month.
The 26-year-old Johnson is in his fifth NBA season, all with Miami, holding career averages of 11.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range in 257 games (56 starts). Johnson ranks second in Heat history with 19 career games scoring 20-plus points off the bench. He scored a career-high 32 points against Orlando on Dec. 20, 2016, and scored 31 at Orlando on Dec. 30, 2017, when he set a Heat record for most field goals in a quarter with 10 in the second period.
Johnson participated in training camp with the Heat after going undrafted in 2014 then played 15 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League before signing a 10-day contract with Miami on Jan. 12, 2015, and making his NBA debut. Born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, he played four seasons at Fresno State where he ended his career ranked 16th on the Bulldogs’ all-time scoring list.
Ellington, a 6-5, 200-pound guard, is averaging 8.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals, including 2.3 three-point makes on 36.8 percent from long range in 25 games with the Heat this season. The 31-year-old Ellington is in his 10th NBA season, playing 617 games (139 starts) with Minnesota, Memphis, Cleveland, Dallas, the L.A. Lakers, Brooklyn and Miami. He holds career averages of 8.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists with 885 career three-point makes on 38.0 percent shooting.
Anderson appeared in 15 games, averaging 3.7 points and 3.0 rebounds, in this his first season with the Suns. The Suns initially acquired Anderson in a trade with Houston on Aug. 31, 2018.
