<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">At the moment, Seattle and Denver are the other teams rumored to be coveting Johnson, but you can bet the interest will begin to spread as the Suns grow in national status. With a pure jump shot and the ability to take the ball inside, the 6-foot-7 Johnson is matchup hell for coaches across the league. If he keeps making big shots at the buzzer, there could be a feeding frenzy, and this could be a painful chapter for the Suns. Before the season started, incoming owner Robert Sarver made a fiscal decision not to extend Johnson's contract, even though the two parties were only $5 million apart. Johnson would've settled for $50 million for six years while the Suns held firm at $45 million. It was a decision that may prove shortsighted, but Sarver was a rookie back then. Now, he sees his new business venture growing. He is one of the team's most visible fans. He was courtside in Dallas when Johnson calmly drilled that game winner, the kind of shots that separate good players from the indispensable ones. Will he bend over backward for Johnson? Or will he look at an inflated offer from another team with cold practicality, the way Mark Cuban turned away from Steve Nash? For what it's worth, Johnson doesn't sound overly optimistic.</div> <font size="1">Full Story courtesy of Dan Bickley and the Arizona Republic.</font> Interesting, he'd obviously be a potential post Ray target. I could see a scenario where Redd goes to Cleveland, Ray heads to Milwaukee and we throw the sink at Johnson, but would that leave us without a first option?
I've always liked Joe Johnson - I like his size, his shot and most importantly his willingness to D up. I'd love to have him on the team. But I agree he's not a #1 kind of guy, he's kind of quiet and I still think he has to prove that mentally he's not another Eddie Jones when given more of the offfensive load.
Joe Johnson is a good player but he is having success feeding off of the attention that Stoudamire, Marion, and Nash are receiving. He has never been a top option on a winning team and I don't think that he could step into Seattle and assume the role of a Ray Allen. We'd potentially have two complimentary players in Sweet Lew and Johnson fighting for the lead role that neither one of them would strive in. I'm not opposed to going after him in the offseason, but knowing our history w/ free agents when it comes to making offer sheets, I doubt that we'd be able to land him w/o overpaying him. But to be honest, I don't think we will be able to land any quality free agent w/o overpaying them and that is why I was upset that we didn't acquire any type of insurance for next season before the trade deadline. If San Antonio, Phoenix, Miami, and Detroit are willing to make trades to improve their team, why can't the Sonics? I guarantee that our offseason will be much more chaotic than all of those teams combined.
honestly, if Ray Allen goes, Seattle needs another leader. Most of the players on the Sonics are the quiet, "take a back seat" or the tough, agressive but not so skilled kind of player. What the sonics really need is a proven all-star, who isnt afraid to lead the team. having said that, i dont think Joe Johnson for Ray Ray is a good choice, since all the Sonics get is another good complimentary player. Yet, Rashard Lewis seems to be stepping his game and taking control of the team, if he can blossom into the leader type player, things will be looking very good.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">His durability is just another facet, on top of three-point accuracy (second in the NBA), defense and ball handling, that will drive up Johnson's asking price in this summer's free-agent market. He will be a restricted free agent, meaning Phoenix has the last call to match any offer, and owner Robert Sarver and President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo have stated that they intend to do so. </div> Source Phoenix could very well be paying more and regretting not forking out the extra $5mill
