Paris Basketball has strengthened its frontcourt by signing former NBA forward Alize Johnson, the club announced on Friday as it continues reshaping its roster ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Johnson arrives after an eight-year professional journey that has taken him through the NBA, G League and several international leagues. Most recently, he played for the Shenzhen Leopards in China after spending the 2025-26 campaign with the Iowa Wolves in the NBA G League.
The 30-year-old was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft and appeared in 76 NBA games over five seasons with the Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs.
His most productive NBA stretch came with Brooklyn during the 2020-21 season. Johnson averaged 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game while shooting an efficient 58.8% from the field across 18 appearances. For his NBA career, he averaged 2.5 points and 3.0 rebounds while converting 48.1% of his field-goal attempts.
Although Johnson never established himself as a full-time NBA rotation player, he built a reputation as an energetic rebounder and athletic finisher. His professional career has since included stops with Busan KCC Egis in South Korea, Puerto Rican club Atléticos de San Germán, Japan’s Kawasaki Brave Thunders and multiple G League organizations.
Paris enters the new season following significant roster and coaching changes after finishing 15-23 in its second EuroLeague campaign. The club ranked 16th in the regular-season standings despite boasting one of the competition’s most productive offenses, averaging 90.1 points per game while allowing 90.9.
The offseason has already brought sweeping changes. Paris appointed Maxime Lefevre as its new head coach following the departure of Julius Thomas, while veterans Derek Willis, Justin Robinson and Yakuba Ouattara also left the club.
Johnson joins an incoming group that includes Terry Tarpey, Maozinha Pereira, former NBA forward T.J. Warren and guard Tyson Etienne. The additions are designed to provide greater size, athleticism and depth around returning leading scorer Nadir Hifi, who averaged 18.9 points and 3.8 assists in EuroLeague play last season.
