Is the Joe Johnson Trade the worst in NBA History?

I agree. Diaw's surprising a lot of people.

 

Diaw has been a huge surpise, but JJ has played much better of late too. I'd say it's too soon to say who won this deal.

Edit: BTW Worst trade in NBA History? Someone here obviously has never heard of Mchale and Parish for Joe Barry Carroll and some other slug. Even Dirk for Tractor Traylor is way out of this trade's league in terms of lopsidedness (Unless the Suns do end up drafting a perennial All Star with one of their draft picks).

 

The only reason why I thought this trade was dumb was the contract ATL shelled out for JJ. We knew they would have blown those 2 1st Rounders anyways, Diaw was showing anything there, but talk about killing your only chance of getting a star player on your team, and no, JJ isn't a star player (yet).

 

I think people are starting to hype Diaw as some kind of awesome player. He is not as good as Joe Johnson. He is a player benefitting amazingly from the Phoenix/Steve Nash system, and who is a lot better than he has previously demonstrated, but not the best player in the deal.

Nonetheless, The Hawks did give up too much because of the draft picks. What's more, they compunded the problem by drafting Marvin Williams, imo. Granted, hindsight is 20-20, but in a league increasingly dominated by speed, quickness, athleticism and speed (yes, I said that twice, but the NBA has gotten so fast), they pass on a matured can't miss prospect in their backyard, at a position they desperately needed to fill, for Marvin Williams.

 

The Dale Davis for Jermaine O'Neal trade was a pretty good one.

Joe Johnson is way overrated.

 

This was not a bad trade. Atlanta got what they wanted in Joe Johnson. Boris Diaw didn't fit in Atlanta style and he looks good in Phoenix. Suns system is going make everybody stats look better than they are. Look at Raja Bell and James Jones, average players who are having career years.

 

It's the worst trade of this season so far, beating out the Alston for James and Brown for Butler deals. Give Isaih Thomas some time, he'll definitely find some way to be in the worst trade discussion.

I nominate the Shaq trade has to be the worst deal of this century.

 

This is correct. If Atlanta had drafted Chris Paul instead of Williams, I don't think the trade would have received as much criticism.

Joe Johnson is a great player - not T-Mac great, but still one of the best swingmen in the league. Losing him in the WCF last season really hurt the Suns, and I believe that they'd be a better team right now if they kept him in Phoenix. However, the Suns also messed up last offseason by not offering Johnson the 5-year MLE deal he wanted.

 

Lat century, the Pacers 22 years ago were beset by injuries and needed a backup center. They traded a draft pick to Portland for Tom Owens.

That pick wound up number 2 in the draft. Of course Portland used it to pick Sam Bowie, but the pick could have been used to pick Michael Jordan.

Knowing Pacers management at the time, who also picked Rick Robey over Larry Bird in 1979, they might have also chosen Bowie.

 

Diaw had 31, 11, and 5 tonite. I thought the Suns were done when they traded Richardson. Subtract Johnson and Stoudemire too, and they've exceeded all of my expectations. I still don't think they will win an NBA championship with their style of play, but they have put together a very nice team.

Diaw is overrated but very good and he, Marion, and Stoudemire will make a very nice frontline. Those 2 draft picks are key. That organization always does well in the draft.

 

A lot of it is coaching, and of course Steve Nash.

Mike DiAntonio is great for young players confidence and Nash gets them TONS of easy shots which also boosts their confidence.

Just look at Joe Johnson this year without Nash....

A good PG is worth their weight in gold....you listening JVG, CD?

DD

 

The best move is the signing of Steve Nash. Nash can run and take care of the ball nicely. If you take Nash out, this Suns team can not run without lots of TOs.

Kidd has done the same for the Nets.

 

diaw is a good young player. a very nice complementary player who can do a lot of things well.

but i can't say that the suns made out like bandits because johnson is a guy who is putting up nearly 20,5,5 everynight, hard to say that is a bad deal for the hawks considering they already have so much young talent on that team, more draft picks really isn't going to help them. they need more veterans, and a point guard. johnson is a good ball handler and passer but he's a 2 or 3, not a point. you can't have one of your best scorers playing out of position trying to be the distributor that's the problem with the hawks putting joe at PG.

anyway, the suns got a good deal with diaw and the draft picks but overall the hawks got the best player in the deal, so far....

 

Why all the hate for Sam Bowie? I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm a little biased in my Sam Bowie opinion. I've grown up in his hometown and have met him and had dinner with him on multiple occasions. He is a solid guy.

Was he worth a #2 overall pick? Ofcourse not, and he knows it better than anyone. However, look at the position that Portland was in. First off, no one, No One, NO ONE knew that MJ was going to be MJ. He was thought to be a good player, but not the greatest of all time by any stretch. Even think of the Rockets. They took Dream. You think the Rockets are taking Dream if they could re-do the draft.....I'm not so sure they would (that hurt even saying it.....don't flame me, I'm a Rockets fan all the way, but I'm also realistic). Portland had just drafted Clyde Drexler the year before, and now they were going to get a guy who did the same thing at the same possition? That makes no sense. Yes, the Rockets made the original Twin Towers in the NBA. But Big Men Dynamic Duos are easier to mesch than are Guard Dynamic Duos. Drexler and Jordan both needed the ball to be effective. How would putting them on the same team do them any good?

Portland had an huge need at a post possition. Sam Bowie was very good post player, he just seemed to have one flaw: he could not seem to stay healthy, even missing a full season at Kentucky. But the thought was that he would stay healthy with the advantages medically offered in the NBA.

You can't blame the Blazers for taking Sam Bowie. Hindsight is always 20/20.

 

Belkin should win GM of the year. He was right since day one. Sarver clearly said he wasn't matching the contract on the radio yet they still gave them the picks and Diaw. Of course, Diaw wouldn't have had the breakout year if he didn't leave Atlanta either.

 

Then they should have taken Charles Barkley who slipped to fifth in the same draft. Even if he had stayed healthy his whole career, Bowie was no Chuckster.

 

Exactly. What makes this trade so bad for Atlanta is the simple fact that it was absolutely unnecessary. The Hawks gave up two first rounders and Diaw (a low-priced, good defensive player, even before his breakout year), all so that Phoenix wouldn't match a front-loaded max contract for Johnson. For crying out loud, Johnson gets $20M in the first year of the deal! Phoenix NEVER would have matched that!!!

 

Or Sam Perkins, who probably would have been remembered as a great post scorer if he'd never met up with Mike Dunleavy.