MIAMI _ Tyler Johnson will play his first game at AmericanAirlines Arena as the opponent Monday.
One of the biggest challenges he is facing is remembering to walk to the visitors' locker room after spending the first four-plus seasons of his NBA career with the Heat.
"It's weird going into the other side of the locker room," Johnson said after the Suns' morning shootaround in advance of Monday's matchup against the Heat. "Coming in the backside of that locker room is really weird. I didn't even know it was over there."
The Heat traded Wayne Ellington and Johnson to the Suns on Feb. 6, a day before the NBA trade deadline. Phoenix waived Ellington and he went on to sign with Detroit, but Johnson has stuck with a Suns team that entered the week with the league's worst record and on a 17-game losing skid.
Now part of a rebuild in Phoenix, Johnson is in a completely different situation than he was in with the Heat. Miami is still competing for the playoffs, entering Monday just 1.5 games out of the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
"I hope they figure it out," Johnson said when asked about the Heat's playoff chances. "These are my guys. Obviously, I want to see them be successful. I would never wish for anything negative on their careers and luckily I'm in the opposite conference, so it is a little bit easier to cheer for them and hope they figure it out. But I know they will. That team has persevered through a lot worse than losing a couple in a row. I know they will figure it out."
With the Suns having practiced Sunday at AmericanAirlines Arena, Johnson had a few days to catch up with former Heat teammates and coaches. Johnson, 26, developed into a rotation-level NBA player with Miami and eventually played his way into a four-year, $50 million contract after joining the organization as an undrafted free agent out of Fresno State in 2014.
"It was just good to be able to reconnect with those guys because regardless of everything that's happened to me being over here now, those are lifelong friendships that are built over a five-year period," he said.
Johnson jokingly said he has "personal vendettas" against every Heat player, and the "one thing I told myself I would not do is jump on a (Dwyane Wade) pump fake."
Just like during Ellington's return to Miami on Saturday as a member of the Pistons, there was no in-game tribute video planned for Johnson. The Heat, instead, opted to honor both players through their social-media channels. The Heat reserves video tributes at AmericanAirlines Arena for players who were on its championship rosters, like the ones LeBron James, Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers received when they returned to Miami.
Johnson entered Monday averaging 10.2 points on 34 percent shooting, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals in five games with the Suns since the trade. He's made four starts in that time, with his best performance in a Phoenix uniform coming in Saturday's loss to the Hawks when he finished with 29 points, five rebounds and four assists.
"I obviously miss it," Johnson said of Miami. "I think I just took for granted how wonderful of a place it is, how great the fan base is. I think I took for granted how passionate these fans are and then also probably took for granted some of the relationships that I built since I've been here. It's definitely good to be back and just reconnect."
