[espnews]- Joe Johnson set to sign offer sheet from Hawks

They will.

 

of course he's gonna sign it. if he doesn't, he'll have to take a lower offer from the suns. this way, he'll get some sort of 'max' out of it.

 

It's more logical for Phoenix to match it. Even at max money, JJ has positive trade value on the market simply due to his talent and his youth. If Phoenix doesn't match, they lose him for NOTHING. They don't even get cap space for someone else, because of Amare's impending big raise.

 

Joe Johnson to Suns: Do Not Match Atlanta's Offer

TORONTO -- Restricted free agent Joe Johnson, who next week plans to sign a lucrative offer sheet from the Atlanta Hawks, told ESPN.com on Friday night that he has asked the Phoenix Suns not to match the offer.

In town for Steve Nash's charity game at Air Canada Centre, Johnson revealed that he directly informed Phoenix managing partner Robert Sarver earlier this week that he would prefer to continue his career as a Hawk.

"We had a discussion," Johnson said in his first extended interview about his future since free agency began July 1.

"I did tell them that."

Asked why he wants to leave the Suns after a breakthrough season, for himself and the team, Johnson said: "It's a lot of things. How things were handled [with Johnson's contract] last summer, how things have been handled this summer. There's been some things going on that aren't great."

Informed late Friday of Johnson's comments, Suns officials declined to respond.

Johnson hoped to sign a six-year, $50 million extension with Phoenix before last season, but the talks stalled with the sides about $5 million apart. At the time, Sarver was hesitant to make another splashy expenditure after committing to front the $400 million purchase of the franchise and then signing Nash and Quentin Richardson to long-term deals worth a combined $110 million.

The Suns offered Johnson a six-year deal in the $60 million range this summer, some $30 million less than he's eligible to receive from his current team. Hoping for significantly more after averaging 17.1 points and shooting 48 percent on 3-pointers to help Phoenix win a stunning 62 games and advance to the Western Conference finals, Johnson and agent Arn Tellem quickly entered into negotiations with the Hawks.

According to sources close to the situation, Johnson is also unhappy with what he perceives as his standing as a "fourth wheel" behind the All-Star trio of Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Marion. Besides the opportunity to be the star man on its youthful roster, Atlanta is offering as much as the rules allow without holding Johnson's Larry Bird rights -- a frontloaded five-year deal worth an estimated $70 million, with an up-front payment as high as $20 million in Year 1.

The Hawks have been planning for weeks to sign Johnson to an offer sheet as soon as the leaguewide moratorium on free-agent signings is lifted. That day, originally scheduled for July 22, is expected to come Tuesday.

The Suns, who would have seven days to match an offer sheet, have consistently said they intend to do just that, and NBA front-office sources reiterated Friday that Phoenix hasn't changed its stance.

Even Johnson, when asked to describe the Suns' reaction to his request to be set free, said: "They say they're going to match."

Phoenix chairman Jerry Colangelo and team president Bryan Colangelo delivered that message to Tellem in a July 9 meeting during a summer-league game in Las Vegas. To increase its matching flexibility, Phoenix agreed Wednesday to trade center Jake Voskuhl to Charlotte and thus remove nearly $2 million from next season's payroll.

It remains to be seen whether Johnson will indeed sign with the Hawks as soon the moratorium ends. If he is intent on going to Atlanta, he and Tellem could choose to hold off on signing the offer sheet in an attempt to draw an improved contract offer out of the Suns or to convince the Suns to engage Atlanta in sign-and-trade talks.

A sign-and-trade could ultimately appeal to the Suns as well, if they decide over the weekend that Johnson's let-me-go plea is more than a mere statement of frustration with negotiations. It's unlikely they would be willing to lose one of their prized assets without compensation, even if management changes course and determines that it's best to sever ties with a player who says he wants to leave.

Johnson, though, insists that his play and commitment to the Suns wouldn't be affected if a signed Hawks offer sheet results in a return to the desert.

"I would come back and work as hard as I ever have," Johnson said. "If they match, all this stuff is behind me from that minute on. I hope everybody [in Phoenix] puts everything behind them, too."

The prospect of Johnson switching teams made Friday's inaugural Steve Nash Foundation Charity Classic perhaps the last time Nash, Marion and Johnson will play together as teammates. Stoudemire was also scheduled to play but joined Philadelphia's Allen Iverson as a late withdrawal.

"I'm really trying not to think about that," Nash said. "No one wants us to keep Joe more than I do. I've been talking to him and trying to persuade him to stay, because we really have a special thing going in Phoenix, but I want whatever he feels is best for him."

Nash added that Johnson's new public stance doesn't change how much his teammates want him to stay, repeating his oft-cited belief that Johnson's shooting and ballhandling skills are as important to the Suns' success as Nash's chemistry with finishers Stoudemire and Marion.

Marion echoed that, saying: "I understand that this is a business and everybody's got to do [what's best] for their family, but we're hoping Joe don't need nothing more than a Suns jersey next year."

"They're in my ear every five minutes," Johnson said with a laugh, referring to persistent lobbying from Nash and Marion.

Some league executives have privately questioned whether the Suns would indeed match a max offer sheet to Johnson, given Sarver's stated aversion to letting his annual payroll stray far beyond $50 million. With Johnson earning an average annual wage of $12 million and Stoudemire soon to receive a maximum contract extension that would kick in starting with the 2006-07 season, Phoenix would be in the rare position of carrying four players who earn roughly $50 million by themselves.

If Johnson winds up with the Hawks, Nash plans to intensify his efforts to recruit Michael Finley of the Dallas Mavericks as a replacement. Unless the Mavericks can trade Finley first, in hopes of keeping Finley out of the Western Conference, they are expected to use the new amnesty clause to release the 32-year-old and spare themselves from nearly $52 million in luxury-tax payments.

The Hawks, dating to last summer, have had no success in their high-dollar attempts to land a prominent restricted free agent. Yet they remain quietly hopeful that they'll soon be able to play Johnson as a point guard should they finally score this time.

Johnson's playmaking ability is viewed by scouts as a critical component to the Suns' success. Phoenix doesn't have another dependable ballhandler to punish opponents who try to force the ball out of Nash's hands.

"I love the idea," Johnson said. "I'd love that, having the ball in my hands. I think I'm a great shooter, but that's where I think I'm most effective, making decisions."

 

Wow. I'm shocked at this turn of events. With them dealing Voskul it seemed like they had the wheels in motion to keep JJ. But I really think that Sarver is looking for reasons NOT to bring JJ back in order to keep down payroll. This may be the opening that he's been looking for. This might force Phoenix's hand. I wouldn't be surprised if they go for a sign and trade with picks and/or Smith/Childress coming back to the Suns, just like how the K-mart deal worked out last year.

 

Do you hear that? That's the whole city of Phoenix letting out a collective

OH SH T!

 

The Suns will either match or do a SnT with the Hawks. No way they let JJ get away for nothing. If they do a SnT, the Suns can take back less than JJ's new salary since the Hawks are below the salary cap.

 

If the Suns match, Joe Johnson is going to be unhappy.

 

This guy must have the biggest ego in the league. He could resign with a championship caliber team for the same amount of money being offered by Atlanta, the laughing stock of the NBA just so he can be "the man."

I hope he goes to Atlanta, (not just because he would otherwise be a sun), but to see him not live up to expectations or even make the playoffs. Guys like him should appreciate how much easier it is to play with a good point guard like Nash. Now we'll get to see what #'s he can put up being double teamed every position.

Time will tell if by not matching, they made a good move. Assuming they don't match. It seems like in Phoenix's system, it doesn't take a JJ to put up those numbers. Just my opinion.

 

assuming he goes to Atlanta, what could phoenix get out of or ask for in a sign n trade...... harrington... childress????

 

No offense intended but it strikes me that usually the opposite opinion is held; people insult players for wanting to go to winning teams, thinking if they were any good they could make a bad team better. It seems pretty easy to just sit back and criticize a player for whichever choice he makes. If he wants to go to a bad team he's got an ego and you want him to fail. If he wants to go to a good team then he has no balls only wants to ride coattails.

 

First off, I respect your opinion, but i always saw it as the opposite. Just using the Rockets as an example, they got Clyde, Pippen, Barkley, T-Mac, Swift, etc, . because they all wanted to play for a winner. This is just recent memory signings, not to mention the people that wanted to play for Houston, but we couldn't land for various reasons. I'll add in the Payton and Malone signings also, since they only went to LA to get a ring, both taking major pay cuts.

I don't usually route for people to fail, but this insert bothered me.

I just think in a team sport and the money he'd be getting, bein a 4th weel ain't too bad.

But in the end it is his decision. Maybe he wants to show the world he can carry this team on his back to the playoffs. Maybe he would be more satisfied with that.

 

I find it funny JJ could have been signed for 6 years 50 million but is now going to get 5 years 70 million!!! Good move Phoenix!

 

You know what sucks the most for Phoneix, thier leader has only about one or two good years left in him.

 

It is going to be interesting to see what the Suns do now that JJ has said he would rather not come back. The Suns dont want to lose talent, but they also dont want to bring JJ back if he is going to be unhappy.

Perhaps the best the Suns can do is trade JJ for Childress/Harrington or Childress and a pick?

I dont think the Suns get Josh Smith or Marvin Williams. They are probably untouchable off the Hawks roster.

But Childress at 6'8" could be a decent replacement for JJ but has been somewhat of a disappointment so far in his career. And Harrington is a talent but is on the last year of his 6M deal and probably is going to want to get a BIG payday after this season. Something the Suns would have to think about.

 

This quote seems to indicate JJ would have no problem going back to Phoenix:

As far as his ego, JJ clearly said he's ticked off about not getting a contract done last summer and he must not have liked the way negotiations started this summer. What's wrong with wanting a fresh start, even if it's Atlanta? How many good NBA players don't have a big ego?
Besides Nash, JJ was the best guy on the Suns at creating. For the most part, all Q & Marion did was wait for the ball at the 3 pt line. Amare benefitted from receiving the ball in great scoring position. Only Nash & JJ consistently created their own shots from scratch. IMO, Phoenix would miss JJ a whole lot more than vice versa. He is more valuable to them than Marion, who had maybe the best season in NBA history by a "garbage man". No offense intended at Marion, but that was his role last year and he was great at it.

Looks like it worked out well for JJ. Swift turned down $8MM/yr last year and Sprewell turned down $7MM/yr and both lost out.

 

It's simple. Sprewell and Swift didn't do anything to raise their value 04-05 (actually they underperformed) while Johnson had a career year. Minnesotta's lack of risk taking paid off. Phoenix's clearly did not.

 

Okay, now can we officially take back Colangelo's GM of the year award and give it to someone else? I'm thinking someone who deserves it, like.... oh... I don't know... Carroll Dawson? Colangelo had a ton of cap room and obviously misused it by A) trading a pick that could have landed them Ben Gordon or Luol Deng B) signing Quentin Richardson for way more than anyone else would have paid him C) not locking Johnson up. Sure, he signed two big name free agents, but that doesn't exactly make him GM of the year, as evidenced by this offseason's debacle.