The Miami Heat are desperate to bring in a sidekick for Dwyane Wade and Hawks free agent-to-be Joe Johnson says he wouldn't mind filling that role. "I played that role already," Johnson told The Miami Herald. "It doesn't matter. You can still make your stamp on the game. I could care less about being the one or two guy. I just want to win." "That's a great situation -- you have to look at it," Johnson added. "I'm not saying I'll go play with him. But being a free agent, you pay attention to everybody's salary cap, what everybody can do." With both players at shooting guard, this pairing would make little sense in Miami. It's more likely the team targets Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer to play with Wade. Johnson is hoping to land a max contract, but some don't think he's worth it. According to the Daily Herald, former NBA player Charles Barkley doesn't think Johnson is a max-salary player after watching him average 12.9 points and shoot 29.8 percent against Orlando. "It hurt him badly," Barkley said Monday on TNT. "He already turned down $16 million a year and I clearly would take that off the table if I'm the Atlanta Hawks. A guy can't play like that and get $16 million a year. ... He clearly can't be your best player. If you give a guy $16 million he's got to be the best player on your team. I like Joe Johnson, he's a good player, but he's not a $16 million a year player on any team." Source: Miami Herald
Miami can't afford to pay him max money unless they agree to a S&T with the Hawks. I agree though, Joe Johnson isn't even close to being a max player. Besides Wade needs a big man to get back in the title picture.
Joe Johnson just doesn't scare me. lol Nice player, but yeah, nothing special. Definitely not a max player.
