joe johnson to atlanta

[Mavs<Spurs]

They're screwed if this is true. They'd better pray that Dallas doesn't swing a deal with Orlando for Finley. If they don't get Finley, they're down 400 made 3 pointers before the season starts, between losing Q and JJ.

\
excellent point, knew that they would be losing two important pieces, but I didn't think of in that way (how many made 3 pointers they are giving up). As you are implying, 3 point shooting was a vital part of their offense last year as we all know (most 3's made, most 3's attempted, free flowing offense...).

[TexasAggie2005]

nets will have a better record then suns
in the words of dusty
"its a lock"

The Nets play in the Eastern conference, which makes this somewhat more plausible, but still very unlikely. Has everyone forgotten Amare, Nash, and Marion still play for the Suns? If you're trying to say the Nets will be better than the Suns, you're nuts. The trades the Suns have been pulling will give them enough room to sign a decent shooter or two.

By the way, why doesn't ESPN.com have anything on this yet? Not saying the OP is making this up, but this doesn't look close to done.

EDIT: nm, apparently it just came up

[goliath]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...arc&id=2120960

It appears that Joe Johnson's wish to swap a supporting role in Phoenix for star status in Atlanta is on the verge of being granted.

Joe Johnson
Guard-Forward
Phoenix Suns
Profile


2004-2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
82 17.1 5.1 3.5 .461 .750



NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that the Suns and Hawks have locked into serious trade discussions that could send Johnson to the Eastern Conference via sign-and-trade as early as Tuesday afternoon.

The proposed deal, according to sources, would bring guard Boris Diaw and two future first-round picks to Phoenix -- along with a trade exception in the $5 million range -- after Johnson signs a contract under terms established by Atlanta: $70 million over five years with an estimated balloon payment of $20 million up front.

Johnson, a restricted free agent, has been planning for weeks to sign a five-year, $70 million offer sheet from Atlanta as soon as the league's moratorium on signings is lifted Tuesday at noon. On Thursday, Johnson stunned Suns managing partner Robert Sarver by asking Sarver directly not to match the offer, telling his boss that he prefers to continue his career as a Hawk. On Friday, at teammate Steve Nash's charity game in Toronto, Johnson revealed the request to ESPN.com and spoke excitedly about the opportunity to play point guard with the Hawks.

After maintaining for weeks that it would match any offer sheet Johnson signs, Phoenix chose a new course this weekend, ultimately deciding it was better for team chemistry to pursue a sign-and-trade with Atlanta instead of investing huge sums in a player who wants to leave.

Johnson's increasingly imminent departure is a coup for the desperate Hawks and an undeniable blow to the Suns, who have long considered the versatile swingman no less critical to last season's overwhelming success than any of their three All-Stars: Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Steve Nash. Next to Nash, the league's newly minted MVP, Johnson was the only other dependable playmaker on a 62-win team and shot a deadly 47.8 percent from 3-point range.

Phoenix, though, has always liked Diaw, a rugged defender and underrated ballhandler from France, and sees him as part of a three- or four-man platoon to replace Johnson, who desires a bigger role than he can have with the star-laden Suns.

Phoenix struck a verbal agreement with Utah's Raja Bell, another defensive specialist with an underrated offensive game, on the first day of free agency. It also still has swingman Jim Jackson, who filled in ably for Johnson during a second-round dismissal of Dallas.

Johnson's exit would likewise spark the Suns to intensify their pursuit of the Dallas Mavericks' Michael Finley. Dallas is expected to waive Finley via the new "amnesty clause" that gives teams a one-time opportunity to release a player without paying any further luxury tax on his contract, unless the Mavericks can trade Finley to an Eastern Conference team before the Aug. 15 deadline for using the amnesty

As an amnesty casualty, Finley would still receive what's left on his Mavericks contract (nearly $52 million) and also have the opportunity to choose his next team in free agency. The list of teams lining up to bid for Finley is a long one, featuring NBA Finals foes San Antonio and Detroit and virtually every other playoff contender in the league, but Phoenix possesses a couple of recruiting advantages.

Finley is received warmly by Suns fans to this day, after Phoenix drafted him No. 21 overall in 1995. The 32-year-old will also be lobbied hard by Nash, who remains one of his closest friends in the league -- along with Dirk Nowitzki -- after the trio's long run together in Dallas. Finley joined Johnson in attendance at Nash's charity game in Toronto, even though his ongoing recovery from June ankle surgery prevented him from playing.

The concern for the Suns is that, with only limited free-agent resources left this summer, they'll be outbid for Finley by most of his suitors.

Landing Johnson, meanwhile, ranks as a huge catch for Hawks general manager Billy Knight, who has struggled since last summer to convert his considerable salary-cap space into a marquee acquisition. Having whiffed a year ago in its attempts to score free agents such as Kenyon Martin and Erick Dampier, Atlanta has been quietly optimistic that it would be able to import Johnson as a point guard to team with its cadre of young swingmen: Al Harrington, Josh Childress, Josh Smith and Marvin Williams, selected No. 2 overall in the recent draft.

"I love the idea," Johnson told ESPN.com on Friday. "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."

In his first extended interview about his future since free agency began Friday, Johnson said his desire to leave the Suns involves "a lot of things," starting with contentious negotiations on a contract extension last October that broke off with sides about $5 million apart. Johnson was rankled further earlier this month when, after a breakout season for himself and the team, Phoenix offered only $60 million over six years.

Yet sources close to the situation also insist that Johnson is most unhappy with what he perceives as his standing as a "fourth wheel" behind Stoudemire, Marion and especially Nash. The native of nearby Arkansas would instantly have his own team to run in Atlanta and become a franchise face for a club teeming with inexperience.

Because the Hawks are so far under the salary cap, and because Johnson will become a base-year compensation player after signing his new deal, Phoenix won't be required in a trade to take back contracts in the neighborhood of Johnson's first-year salary of $12 million. Diaw has two seasons left on his contract totaling just over $3 million.

On top of the draft picks in the deal, the trade exception -- good for one year -- gives Phoenix the ability to take back more salary in a future trade than it gives up and thus provides another vehicle for acquiring a contributor.

Given Sarver's stated aversion to letting his annual payroll stray far beyond $50 million, replacing Johnson with Bell, Diaw, two draft picks, a trade exception and perhaps even Finley (if the Suns are so fortunate) holds considerable appeal. Although sources insist that Sarver was intent on matching an offer sheet to Johnson, doing so would have put Phoenix in the rare position of carrying four players who earn roughly $50 million by themselves, with Stoudemire soon to receive a maximum contract extension that would kick in starting with the 2006-07 season. And Kurt Thomas, another recent acquisition from New York in a trade for Quentin Richardson, has three seasons left on his deal at an average of more than $7 million.

"You've got to go where you're comfortable," Johnson said Friday in explaining his wish to swap Phoenix for Atlanta.

With the Hawks unable to sign the restricted free agent outright, a sign-and-trade has emerged as the most comfortable compromise for Johnson and the two teams involved.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, click here to send a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.

[ChumpDumper]

The proposed deal, according to sources, would bring guard Boris Diaw and two future first-round picks to Phoenix -- along with a trade exception in the $5 million range

Why would the exception be in the $5 million range if the difference in salaries is over $10 million?

Nevermind -- JJ is base year, that's why.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Diaw is not a particularly tradable asset, and if ATL were going to "throw in" Salim, I think it would have been mentioned. I still say PHO is screwed next year.

Agreed. Marion's production was related to the type of offense that Phoenix ran. He is not a guy you run plays for. They came in the midst of that run n gun offense. The 3 point shooting was a vital part of that offense. Plus, Kurt Thomas is not going to fit in with the type of offense they had last year. Is Hunter their center now? They got away with a small line up due to the type of offense they ran. Now, they have essentially scrapped that system without replacing it with a conventional offense. At least for this year, they are not going to be nearly as good as they were last year. Major problems!
IMO, they have made major mistakes this summer and have taken big steps backwards. I don't get this at all! They should have resigned Joe last year to prevent future problems in resigning Amare.
?????!!!!!

[Streakyshooter08]

The Suns would still have:

Thomas/ ???
Amare/ Padgett
Marion/Diaw
Jackson/ Bell
Nash/ Barbosa

That is not that bad...

[TexasAggie2005]

Diaw is not a particularly tradable asset,

I love how you say Diaw is not tradeable AS HE IS BEING TRADED.

[ChumpDumper]

Two first rounders from the worst team in basketball make anyone tradeable.

[TexasAggie2005]

Two first rounders from the worst team in basketball make anyone tradeable.

Would you take Michael Finley with those two first rounders from Atlanta? My only point was that if they have to trade for a shooter they have assets, including Diaw AND those two first rounders (granted, mainly the two first rounders).

[ChumpDumper]

granted, mainly the two first rounders

That's all you need to know.

[angel_luv]

Just to be clear... does this Johnson to the Hawks move ensure that there is no room for Rasho in basketball purgatory?!???

[TexasAggie2005]

That's all you need to know.

What the ? Just because the two first rounders are more valuable doesn't mean Diaw is chopped liver. Why is Atlanta even including him if he's not worth anything?

[T Park]

Just to be clear... does this Johnson to the Hawks move ensure that there is no room for Rasho in basketball purgatory?!???

More than likely, because the Hawks shipped out Diaw.

Looking more and more like Rasho aint goin nowhere.

[Kori Ellis]

More than likely, because the Hawks shipped out Diaw.

Looking more and more like Rasho aint goin nowhere.

They are still looking for a center. And now with Joe Johnson there, one of their other swingmen seems more expendable. So I would think it's MORE likely now.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

nets will have a better record then suns
in the words of dusty
"its a lock"

If you're going to quote that oral rash, I'd just as soon see you quit posting here.

What the ? Just because the two first rounders are more valuable doesn't mean Diaw is chopped liver. Why is Atlanta even including him if he's not worth anything?

Dude, don't take this the wrong way, but you're making my alma mater look bad right now. The tradeable assets in this deal are the draft picks.

Why is Atlanta including him? Because there's a little thing called a collective bargaining agreement that all trades have to adhere to, and Diaw's salary makes this deal work.

They aren't trading Diaw to Phoenix to give Phoenix a player, they're trading Diaw to Phoenix to get the contract/salary financials to line up.

[ChumpDumper]

Why is Atlanta even including him if he's not worth anything?

The article said the Suns like him -- the Hawks certainly had no use for him.

Just to be clear... does this Johnson to the Hawks move ensure that there is no room for Rasho in basketball purgatory?!???

Not quite yet, but guys like Curry are still in play.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

More than likely, because the Hawks shipped out Diaw.

Looking more and more like Rasho aint goin nowhere.

I'd say on the contrary, this move makes a Rasho deal to Atlanta for one of their swingmen much more likely.

[Kori Ellis]

I'd say on the contrary, this move makes a Rasho deal to Atlanta for one of their swingmen much more likely.

Don't copy my posts

[T Park]

They just swapped swingman for swingman.

There is no surplus.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Yes ma'am.

Great minds think alike.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Tpark, they just swapped an end of bench swingman for a guy (Johnson) who is now their best swingman.

You make it out like this is a scrub for scrub deal. It's not. Come on man, you're smarter than this.

[Kori Ellis]

They just swapped swingman for swingman.

There is no surplus.

They gained a swingman that needs more playing time than Diaw did.

They still have both Josh's, Harrington, Donta Smith, and now JJohnson. They say that JJohnson is going to play the point there, but who knows.

[ChumpDumper]

I don't know about "more likely" -- it's pretty clear they want Johnson to play the point. Given they have a bit more cap space than they had pencilled in for a center before the trade, they may still make a run at someone like Curry or Steven Hunter.

[T Park]

suns are ing stupid

How so, Johnson was leaving anyways, they got back a DEFENSIVE swingman.

Making a good situation out of worse one imo.

[ChumpDumper]

Those picks are going to help keep payroll down in the near future as well. If they are able to pick up Finley, the Suns might be alright.