They just said it on ESPNEWS. Apparently it's 5 yrs., 70 million and Johnson has asked the Suns NOT to match the offer, as he wants out of Phoenix.
I wonder why he asked Phoenix not to match the offer. If he got the same money why would he want to go to a much worse team? Is he from the south?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">I wonder why he asked Phoenix not to match the offer. If he got the same money why would he want to go to a much worse team? Is he from the south?</div> He wants to be a focal point of the offense on a young up and coming team.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...marc&id=2120105 WTF! I believe that JJ is upset with the orginization because he was offended by the Suns initial offer of 6 years at $60 million. I hope Nash and Matrix can convince JJ to stay and win a title in the dessert.
This is in my mind a bad move on JJ?s part. You are leaving a championship caliber organization were you just had a break out year, and a organization that has made every effort to accommodate there team to resign you. This reminds me of Steven Jackson's situation a while back when he turned down an offer from the Spurs to play for the Hawks, and be the main part of an offense. We all know how that season turned out for him. However, one thing that is different is he only had a one year deal so was able to leave after he showed how good he was, and sign with the Pacers. JJ is in this for the long hall if he really wants to be a Hawk. I am not trying to insult the Hawks organization, but lord knows they won?t be championship caliber for at least the next four to five years. So why would you choose to spend the prime of your career on a team with potential to be a playoff contender, when you could be on a team with potential to be champions? This news really makes this off-season a huge bust for the Suns franchise they down graded their talent in almost every area by trading Q to make room for JJ and then signing Raja to replace him, then also letting Steven Hunter go. Now hearing this news, it has become crucial that they sign Michael Finley if they fail to do that who will they have at the shooting guard Jim Jackson? I still feel this team is the best team in the pacific division, but now it went from being ten notches above everyone else to only two or one. I think their defense has improved which is always good, but this will not be the same Suns team of last season. Maybe they are now going to try and move away from being thought of as an offensive team, and try to be more equal when it comes to defense, and offense. They could still make the best out of a bad situation this off-season by resigning Steven Hunter and bringing in Finley. I think that as long as Nash and Amare play at the level they did last season they are still a top team in the western conference. Can they beat the Spurs without changing something about how they play? No, because unless they can convince Amare not to go about the game thinking that as long as I get the points on one end it?s ok to give them up on the other. I guess all possibilities of them trading Marion our out of the question now. They still have one of the best front courts in basketball, and will have a good backcourt.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">He wants to be a focal point of the offense on a young up and coming team.</div> Wow, I thought he was a pretty unselfish guy. I'm happy that hes out of the Pacific division.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">Wow, I thought he was a pretty unselfish guy. I'm happy that hes out of the Pacific division.</div> Not yet my friend. If you read the ESPN article it said the Suns still intend to match the offer.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting emannen:</div><div class="quote_post">Not yet my friend. If you read the ESPN article it said the Suns still intend to match the offer.</div> The key word is "yet". If he doesn't want to play there but Phoenix resigns him anyway he will likely get traded. He is gone before the season starts most likely.
^ I don't think Johnson would make the whole thing a distraction. I think to keep everyone happy, the Suns should try a Sign-and-trade. Johnson to Atlanta for Harrington and fillers to make the salaries match. Johnson gets to start at PG and gets to go where he wanted to go all along, and the Suns get a SF/PF who would be great off the bench, if he doesn't complain. Good trade for both teams IMO.
I'm not surprised he signed the Hawks offer sheet, but to tell the Suns not to match caught me off-guard. Seems out of character from JJ, and what part of $10Million a year is insulting? It's called negotiations for a reason and the Suns have said all along they would match any offer for JJ. The Suns can still outbid the Hawks, because they can offer him an extra year, and I'm sure they will try to kiss and make-up with JJ. If he is adament about wanting to leave, than the Suns should do a sign & trade and go demand Al Harrington and Salim Stoudemire.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">You are leaving a championship caliber organization were you just had a break out year</div> Both of these points are incorrect in my opinion.The Suns have no ability to beat the Spurs in 7 games.Not championship caliber as long as the Suns are small and cant play D.Also,JJ's breakout year was in the 03-04 season I believe.This makes the Suns management look pretty stupid for not giving JJ that contract extension last year.Oh well.If the Suns dont get Finley or some high quality replacement for JJ they can kiss the pacific division title goodbye.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GiantMidget:</div><div class="quote_post">Both of these points are incorrect in my opinion.The Suns have no ability to beat the Spurs in 7 games.Not championship caliber as long as the Suns are small and cant play D.Also,JJ's breakout year was in the 03-04 season I believe.This makes the Suns management look pretty stupid for not giving JJ that contract extension last year.Oh well.If the Suns dont get Finley or some high quality replacement for JJ they can kiss the pacific division title goodbye.</div> The Suns have the ability to beat the Spurs in a 7 game series. They did not have JJ the entire series and when they did they played well. Q played awful in the playoffs and you replace Q with a 6'9 235 Kurt Thomas. Thomas can guard TD and make the 10-15 ft. jumper when Amare is double teamed. He is also a good rebounder which was a major weakness on our team last year. Also we now have a Ginoboli stopper in Raja Bell. Manu admitted that Raja was his least favorite player to play against. The Suns are now a much deeper team then they were last season. They are also much better on D. JJ had a good year in 03-04 but I would not call it a breakout year. He was always a very inconsistent player who had great skills and potential. He finally started coming around in 03-04 and played very well towards the end of the season after Marbury was traded. The Suns offered him a deal of 6 years and $45 million but JJ wanted $50 and Robert Sarver would not take it. It looks like a stupid decision now but I do not know if I would have played JJ at the time either, seeing as though he had only played great ball for a little more then half of a season. The off-season is still young and this team will improve, hopefully with JJ on it!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">I wonder why he asked Phoenix not to match the offer. If he got the same money why would he want to go to a much worse team? Is he from the south?</div> I think he's from Akansas
As much as the Hawks look like a promising young team, I can't help but feel icky about this. It's all about the money. I know Johnson wants to be a star, and I know that he wants to be the focal point of a team, but doesn't winning fit in there somewhere, too? Telling a championship level team "don't re-sign me" at the same time as you're saying "show me the money" to a team that won 20 something games just doesn't sit well with me.
WTF i can't believe Johnson, the Suns treated him very well, and when he was injured they took good care of him, i don't think he should have anything on the Suns. If we don't match it then we have enough money to get back Hunter, sign Finley and a back up PF.
Okay. A sign and trade with the Hawks would be awesome if we could get Al Harrington and Salim Stoudemire. Then we could still sign Finley with the remaining money. If we do that we are going to the Finals no doubt. But we did not trade Q for any other reason than he was so inconsistent and he just sucked. We got what we needed from Kurt Thomas, and we have not lost Hunter yet.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Suns have the ability to beat the Spurs in a 7 game series. They did not have JJ the entire series and when they did they played well.</div> Excuses... It's bad they didn't have JJ but every always gets shot in the playoffs, the Heat lost Wade, Shaq and got others injured... every year there will be injuries in the playoffs, it's an 82 game+ season, not everyone is an iron man. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Q played awful in the playoffs and you replace Q with a 6'9 235 Kurt Thomas.</div> Q playing awful is just S.A playing something called DEFENSE, is that something new to Phoenix and their fans? <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Thomas can guard TD and make the 10-15 ft. jumper when Amare is double teamed. </div> Um, last I heard noone in the league can guard the 2 time MVP, 3 time Finals MVP in a 7 game series. I'll say it again, there's a reason why NYK didn't want anything to do with Kurt Thomas. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Also we now have a Ginoboli stopper in Raja Bell. Manu admitted that Raja was his least favorite player to play against.</div> Alright, it's his least favourite player to play against... so what? That doesn't mean Bell can stop Manu every play night in and night out in a 7 game series. Plus with Bell out there so much, he's gotta do something on the offesnive end as well, which he can't. If Prince can't stop Manu, I'm not sure who else in the league can while he's with Duncan. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Suns are now a much deeper team then they were last season. They are also much better on D</div> Hm, they lost JJ, they might lose Hunter. That leaves them with: Nash, Barbosa and Bell in the backcourt. Front court of Amare, Marion, Thomas, Jackson... Walter is garbage. That's 1 quality sub for backcourt, and 1 for frontcourt... Play some D.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Mr.Wade:</div><div class="quote_post">Excuses... It's bad they didn't have JJ but every always gets shot in the playoffs, the Heat lost Wade, Shaq and got others injured... every year there will be injuries in the playoffs, it's an 82 game+ season, not everyone is an iron man. Q playing awful is just S.A playing something called DEFENSE, is that something new to Phoenix and their fans? Um, last I heard noone in the league can guard the 2 time MVP, 3 time Finals MVP in a 7 game series. I'll say it again, there's a reason why NYK didn't want anything to do with Kurt Thomas. Alright, it's his least favourite player to play against... so what? That doesn't mean Bell can stop Manu every play night in and night out in a 7 game series. Plus with Bell out there so much, he's gotta do something on the offesnive end as well, which he can't. If Prince can't stop Manu, I'm not sure who else in the league can while he's with Duncan. Hm, they lost JJ, they might lose Hunter. That leaves them with: Nash, Barbosa and Bell in the backcourt. Front court of Amare, Marion, Thomas, Jackson... Walter is garbage. That's 1 quality sub for backcourt, and 1 for frontcourt... Play some D.</div> You have some research to do my friend! It is bad the Suns lost JJ and that is one of the main reasons the Suns lost the series. Yes the Heat lost Wade and he was injured and that was one of the main reasons the Heat lost their series as well. What are you doing other then proving my point?! With a healthy JJ next year (or Finley) the Suns have a great chance to beat the Spurs. They struggled in the series because JJ was injured. Tell me, is Dallas known for their defense?! Because Q struggled mightily against them as well. Let me see, Memphis?! Q did not play well throughout the playoffs! Jackass get your facts straight! And yes no single player in the league can stop TD. He is an MVP and one of the best (if not the best) in the league. Kurt Thomas can defend much better then Amare Stoudemire and is a more complete player then Steven Hunter (who defended Duncan on numerous occasions). With Kurt Thomas guarding TD, rebounding, and hitting shots it greatly improves our team. Manu is a great player and no single player can stop him either (does anyone see the theme here?). But if Raja Bell is the player Manu likes least to see on D that says something (which ruins your argument that if Prince did not stop him Bell could not either). Bell will not hold Manu to 9 ppg but he will pester him, and frustrate him much like Bruce Bowen does to his opposition. Also Raja Bell has a good offensive game. There is a reason he was one of the league leaders in 3 point accuracy and averaged a little over 12 ppg last season. Also when you are a team captain and one of Jerry Sloan's favorite players that says something! Also the Suns have not lost JJ yet. If you READ the Espn article it says that Robert Sarver (Suns owner) told JJ that the Suns would still match the offer. If the Suns do not there is a good chance that Nash's good buddy and former Sun Michael Finley will join Nash in Phoenix. Also we have signed Scott P. and still have room to sign Steven Hunter or another backup Center if he does not resign. SOOOOOO...... Bench PG: Leandro Barbosa- has a good summer so far, named to the summer league 2nd team. SG: Jim Jackson- veteran who played very well in the playoffs, and is a great leader on young team. Raja Bell- Great defender who contrary to popular belief HAS AN OFFENSIVE GAME ! SF/PF: Scott P. - Nice defender, especially on Dirk and has nice outside game. Will not play much because Amare will see major minutes and the Suns still intend to play small ball this year. C: Steven Hunter- Very nice young player who was a great defender last year, he has an expanding offensive game. If Hunter is not resigned expect a filler at this position. The off-season is not over and I expect the Suns to further address the bench accordingly especially finding a backup 3/4 tweener. McCarty is also an FA who we have expressed a small amount of interest in. Tell your Raptors to work on both offense and defense, and ohh that Vince Carter trade!
