Atlanta sends Diaw & 2 picks for Johnson <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">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 lottery-protected 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. </div><div align="center">Link</div> Not a bad deal for both teams. Atlanta gets that great offense in Johnson and the Suns receive some nice young talent in Diaw and get those 2 future picks. Your thoughts?
Def. a good move by the Hawks..and although Suns have Diaw and 2 future picks they still wont be the same without JJ.
At the bottom of the article it says that the Suns also reached an agreement with Raja Bell, who is very underrated and has a nice offensive game that can help fill the gap from JJ.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting The Soft Parade:</div><div class="quote_post">At the bottom of the article it says that the Suns also reached an agreement with Raja Bell, who is very underrated and has a nice offensive game that can help fill the gap from JJ.</div> Bell may be somewhat underrated, but you don't replace JJ's touches with Raja Bell. I would venture that Diaw will see more minutes than Bell. Either way, it's a great deal for both sides, and it should at the very least help the Hawks improve right away.
PHX is basically getting something for JJ. They know he does not want to play for them, so they get Diaw and 2 Picks for them.
If I were the Suns I would of done everything I could to get Childress. Childress and a pick would of done it. He would of been a great fit in PHX, but apparently the Hawks weren't budging or the Suns wanted the deal they got in favour of the Childress deal. Diaw's a stiff, he can't shoot the ball and isn't a very good scorer. He has decent D and athleticsm which should fit in well with the Suns. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting lessthanjake:</div><div class="quote_post">^ the 2 picks are lottery protected too. thank god.</div> They're probably not protected throughout the whole lottery or anything, probably top 5 or something around there, since the Hawks are expected to be a much better team with JJ on it <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">At the bottom of the article it says that the Suns also reached an agreement with Raja Bell, who is very underrated and has a nice offensive game that can help fill the gap from JJ.</div> Yea...that's kind of old news.
I'm trying to rationalize why the Hawks agreed to give up anything. They were in the driver's seat and all the pressure was on the Phoenix Suns. No other team had extended an offer sheet to Joe Johnson and he expressed he wanted to play for the Hawks and be the main piece of their rebuilding. I think the Hawks should have been patient and got JJ for nothing. Now they've paid a lot of money for JJ, plus they gave up Boris Diaw and 2 future 1st round picks. That's a lot to fork out for JJ.
Pho would have matched if we didn't give anyone up for him. plus the picks are lottery-protected, so it won't matter for the next 1-3 years.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting lessthanjake:</div><div class="quote_post">Pho would have matched if we didn't give anyone up for him. plus the picks are lottery-protected, so it won't matter for the next 1-3 years.</div> If the Suns were going to match it, they would have done it already and avoided the friction it caused in the first place. I think they were bluffing and the Hawks fell for it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">If the Suns were going to match it, they would have done it already and avoided the friction it caused in the first place. I think they were bluffing and the Hawks fell for it.</div> Well the Suns can't match it since JJ hasn't actually signed with the Hawks yet.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">If the Suns were going to match it, they would have done it already and avoided the friction it caused in the first place. I think they were bluffing and the Hawks fell for it.</div> I agree 100%. There was no way that the Suns would have gave Joe Johnson the max with Amare coming up in a free agent year, that would mean three players on the squad would be getting paid near the max next year. The Suns made a good move in the early stages by saying they were going to re-sign Joe Johnson, but then seemed like they got nervous and agreed to a deal that quite frankly isn't fair. Boris Diaw? I'm sorry Phoenix but there is no way that Boris Diaw and two lottery protected picks is worth Joe Johnson.
