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

Read between the lines people. This is posturing by his agent to extract more $ from Phoenix.


He'd probably rather play in Phoenix if he could get more $.

 

Exactly, which says something about the players involved. When you turn down big money it puts the pressure on you to prove your value. JJ did that (and more). Swift failed. And Sprewell? He sure wasn't thinking about his family when he destroyed his value last season. Like Swift, he bailed his team out by saying no.

 

allegedly coleangelo made his moves with the understanding they were going to retain jj at any cost. if that's true you can't blame him for sarver's change of heart in the last minute.

 

A) Ben Gordon was the #3 pick in the draft. The Suns traded away the #7 to clear more cap room to offer Kobe.
B) That was Q's market value. He was a young guy coming off a year in which he averaged 17ppg. He isn't as one dimensional as he looked last year in Phoenix. They're going to miss him once they realize Kurt Thomas isn't a difference maker defensively.
C) Only in hindsight. It would have been ridiculous at the time giving a guy who had only had one good 1/2 season in the NBA 6 years, $50million. Even now, it's not their fault he wants to leave.

Initial reports were Marion, Joe Johnson, and the #7 for McGrady. It was then discovered they were only offering Marion and the #7. Then they pulled out and traded away with the 7. Why? Should have gone with McGrady.

 

I don't know about that. He could be burning bridges with the fans. He will have to do an about face if he stays in Phoenix.

This will be insteresting as it unfolds. I hope he goes to ATL.

 

If he goes to Altlanta, scratch Phoenix off the contender list. The Rox have a great opportunity in 05-06. One more impact player (at least) and one more year of experience under their belt.

 

So........thank you Weisbrod, and Colangelo?

If they'd included JJ, they would have definately gotten McGrady.

 

They actually used the traded down draft pick to finalize the Kurt Thomas deal. So essentially they traded Luol Deng (who would be perfect in Phoenix, and make Marion totally expendable) in order to clear cap room, in order to trade for Kurt Thomas. Ouch.

Well at that point you have to wonder if T-mac truly did say that he wasn't going to extend his contract with any team besides Houston. If that was true, it makes sense for Phoenix to back off. Marion, JJ, and the #7 is way too much to risk in order to call a guy's bluff.

 

Thanks apostolic and RIET for actually reading the whole thing. Even Joe Johnson said the Suns or going to max and he will be ready to play. This is all a tiff between the player, agent and owner, it won't affect things once the season starts with Johnson in a Suns uniform.

Some of you guys need to be more thorough before firing away knee-jerk posts.

 

Um, I don't know if you were lumping me into the knee-jerk posts camp, but based on some of these articles, and the fact that the Suns aren't exactly front and center, loud and proud about matching, I really think that Sarver ultimately doesn't want to re-sign JJ at $70 million. I'm sure he's looking at the situation and trying to find reasons to NOT match Atlanta's offer. Maybe this will give him the ammunition he needs to spin the story in his favor.

This whole situation sounds so much like the whole K-mart scenario from last year.

 

Damn !!!... Suns could've had T-Mac, Amare AND NAsh !!!

 

m_cable, I won't say you were the worst offender, but I do think think you are reading too much into. Nowhere does it say or imply the Suns don't like Joe Johnson--in fact every indication is they do want him. They were trying to pay him a little as possible, in some way they lost this game when you think of the past 2 years. Still, they only have to pay the max offer from an other team, not the 20+ more million they could have paid him as their own Larry Bird rights player. Joe Johnson/agent are irritated with the front office--probably for not getting the extra 20 mil, for not stroking his ego, and for keeping him in some limbo.

But the Suns front office do want him, the Suns players want him, and they will get him. Joe Johnson will show up and go to work for Phx and this will be mostly forgotten--it isn't really about Phx players or coaches who Joe J will daily interact and travel with. Maybe 5-6 years down the line the feelings will resurface and their might be repercussions--kinda like the end of the Bulls era--but I don't see any immediate fall out.

The Kmart situation was different. The Nets didn't think he was worth them max and didn't want him at that price, thus they settld for what they could get.

 

Just saw on espnnews that the suns are going to trade JJ for Boris Diaw and two future firsts.

 

Link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2120960

 

Doesn't look like JJ would be upset at all if the Suns match.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/0731suns0731.html

Radio spot suggests JJ would like Suns return

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 31, 2005 12:00 AM

Joe Johnson asked the Suns last week not to match the offer sheet he can sign with Atlanta on Tuesday.

Johnson wants to play in Phoenix.

Can both be true? In free agency, where teams' wallets and players' skin need to be thick, Johnson may be proving to be a quality player again.

It seemed inflammatory Friday when Johnson revealed to ESPN.com that he asked Managing Partner Robert Sarver not to re-sign him, particularly with Johnson saying it while in Toronto with Shawn Marion for Steve Nash's charity game.

But consider what Johnson also said Friday to Toronto's "The Fan" radio station when asked whether Phoenix was the best scenario for him.

"Probably so, more than likely so," Johnson said before a long, deep breath. "It's going to be tough. It's going to be real tough. Hopefully, everything will work out like we want it."

His posturing may have more to do with ensuring that a five-year offer that may be worth almost $72 million (with $18 million up front) is still on the table Tuesday.

There is no doubt that Johnson has been peeved. Those close to him said he was upset when Phoenix would not go up $5 million to meet his request for $50 million for six years last summer, when the Suns gave Quentin Richardson a six-year, $43.5 million deal.

He was further unsettled this month when Phoenix offered $60 million for six years and asked him to choose between it and the Atlanta offer at one point. That prompted his request to Sarver, who intends to match the Hawks' offer. He has a week to do so once Johnson signs Atlanta's offer.

"It's a lot of things," Johnson told ESPN.com when asked why he would want to leave Phoenix. "It's the way things were handled last summer, how things have been handled this summer. There's been some things going on that aren't great."

Johnson told a Little Rock television station recently that Phoenix was not doing anything extra to retain him, but it now appears he is taking some of the Suns' messages.

Phoenix prepared a full recruiting blitz for Johnson that would have been similar to the one that wooed Nash last summer. However, Johnson canceled a meeting in the first week of free-agency contact in order to seek his market value.

He found it with Atlanta, which sold Johnson on being in the South, playing point guard and being the star. But it would not be the first time Atlanta has been a pawn in free agency.

"They've been telling me how great of a city Phoenix is, and this and that," Johnson told The Fan. "There are a lot of things I already know. Of course, they don't want me to leave. They've just been showing me a lot of love right now.

"I'm just looking for the best situation for myself. I don't think it has more to do with one or the other. I would love to try to get a championship. But like I say, it's a business. You've got to go where you're comfortable. . . . Any decision I make, it doesn't really matter. It's a tough decision, but I think it's going to work out for the best."

 

If this happens, there goes another contender in the west. Seattle (new system and two free agents gone), Sacramento(no Webber), Phoenix (no Johnson) will all be below us and we have a chance to overtake Dallas and San Antonio. Next year could be special

 

Here's a summary of what the Suns are getting:
the lesser of the Celtics' first-round two picks next year
a lottery-protected first-round pick
Diaw, a good athlete with few discernable offensive skills.

Overall, they're getting anywhere between fifty and seventy cents on the dollar. Since it helps them avoid a monstrous $80 million payroll, I say it's worth it.

 

i really like joe johnsons game, but two draft picks seems like a lot to give up. especially considering the fact that the hawks pick is always a lottery pick. I could see them giving up one first rounder and a second rounder but two #1 picks. ouch, that could hurt. Then again, they do have alot of young talent already on the team. Maybe Marvin Williams and Joe Johnson are going to be their 1-2 punch for the next decade and they are content with that. I think if the Hawks are able to go out and get a guy like Curry, they might have a decent team in a couple years.

 

Wow!! Colangelo managed to lose Q and Johnson, while only getting back Kurt Thomas, Diaw, and two protected picks. If I was the Sun's owner, the GM would have a lot of explaining to do.

 

Yeah, but those two picks are going to be lottery picks. You know Atlanta is not going to make the playoffs next year, with or without JJ. Phoenix can get a Joe Johnson in the draft and they won't have to pay $70 million. Short term it's going to hurt Phoenix, but long term they're in good shape. They would have 4 almost max contracts (Johnson, Nash, Marion and Stoudamire) in 06-07