If Joe Johnson wants a chance at a championship then he will stay with Phoenix but if he wants money then he will go to A-town.
You guys have got to think long term though. You can't have that many MASSIVE contracts and be a successful team. Nash, Marion, JJ and soon to be Amare.... that's 3 maxes and 1 close to max. That's almost taking up your whole salary. Don't forget the bench players too like Thomas, Jimmy, etc. Tough decision, I don't knwo which way to call.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting da pimp 1:</div><div class="quote_post">If Joe Johnson wants a chance at a championship then he will stay with Phoenix but if he wants money then he will go to A-town.</div> da pimp, you can't use that sig it's someone else's. His username is in the corner of it... We need to sign JJ now. We need to win NOW! Nash is getting old so we need to win quick, who cares about the future if we win 1 maybe 2 championships? They will figure out what to do soon...
Oh i didn't see that i picked it up at that website you told me i'll change that. I would like to get JJ back but i'm not sure if the suns should over pay him. This is a tough one.
Heard on the radio the Suns made an offer of 5 years at $45Million, and JJ said it was, "Insulting." The Hawks deal is $70Million for 5 years, so don't be surprised if he bolts. The latest deals the other shooting guards received didn't help the Suns cause at all. When players like Larry Hughes and Bobby Simmons get overpaid, JJ is going to expect the Suns to match the market price for his services.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">Heard on the radio the Suns made an offer of 5 years at $45Million, and JJ said it was, "Insulting." The Hawks deal is $70Million for 5 years, so don't be surprised if he bolts. The latest deals the other shooting guards received didn't help the Suns cause at all. When players like Larry Hughes and Bobby Simmons get overpaid, JJ is going to expect the Suns to match the market price for his services.</div> That 5 year $45 million contract was offered last summer by Robert Sarver. JJ wanted 5 years at $50 million (looks good now!), and Sarver would go no further then $45. I doubt that we would offer ther same contract that we did last summer. I have heard the Suns offered something in the range of 6 yrs and $60 million. We also intend to match any offer so we will eventually end up paying 5 yrs $70 million. This is $20 million more then JJ was asking for last summer!!!
I still don?t understand why the Hawks would want Joe Johnson. Sure he?s a great player who has been one of the NBA?s most improved players, but with Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Marvin Williams, and now him if he signs, what will happen? All of them are young with the oldest being Johnson at age 24. I don?t understand this move at all. I?m still wondering why would Johnson want to consider playing for the Hawks? Not only does he get the same amount of money if he decides to stay in Phoenix, but he also gets a much better team as well. In Phoenix, he will be a very rich man on a team contending for the NBA title, but in Atlanta, he will be a very rich man on a team contending in the lottery. Take your pick, Joe. Also, as was said before, even if the Suns do overpay Joe, they have to do this now. Steve Nash is not getting any younger and the best time for them to win is now. By all means, overpay Joe and try to win it all instead of being a mediocre team for the next couple of years.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LAS VEGAS ? Money talks in July, and it is about to scream at the Phoenix Suns. Unless they have a change of heart because they believe the Suns are bluffing about matching any offer that is made to swingman Joe Johnson, the Atlanta Hawks are going to offer Johnson a maximum contract. Don't expect the Suns to blink unless owner Robert Sarver, the guy Spurs coach Gregg Popovich joked had been the man inside the San Diego Chicken outfit, really is afraid to cut a big-time check. The reason Sarver will swallow hard and then go ahead and pay Johnson? If he does, the Suns are going to have a much better chance at getting past the Spurs in the 2006 Western Conference playoffs. Everything the Suns have done this summer ? trading Quentin Richardson and the rights to first-round draft pick Nate Robinson to the Knicks for center Kurt Thomas and signing free-agent shooting guard Raja Bell ? has been predicated on matching up better against the Spurs. "The Spurs are our mountain to climb," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said Saturday afternoon before watching Leandro Barbosa work on the holes in his game by playing 32 minutes in a Las Vegas Summer League game against the Los Angeles Clippers. "Everything we've done has been predicated on trying to get over that mountain." By trading Richardson, whose shooting in the Western Conference finals was shaky, at best, and getting Thomas, the hard-nosed center the Spurs nearly traded for on deadline day in 2004, the Suns got a lot more versatile up front. "We feel like now we've got two gears, instead of one," D'Antoni said. In other words, when the Suns need to get a little more physical and play some interior defense against the Spurs, they don't have to ask Amare Stoudemire to try to do something he clearly hasn't yet made a priority. </div> In Quest to Best Spurs, Suns Will Re-Sign JJ
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Word on the street is that when agent Herb Rudoy disclosed that Bell had agreed to sign with the Suns, one of his more prominent clients, Manu Ginobili, called him to protest that he had just given the Suns the defender he least likes to play against.</div> that was my favorite part. Hopefully we can get him back for all of those free lay ups he got last year...
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Suns season ticket renewals are due Monday, but an answer on Joe Johnson's future isn't. What seemed like a slam dunk days ago is looking more like a heave from half court because of Robert Sarver's growing concern about his team's payroll. Caveat emptor. As you write that check today, know that the giddiness hangover of the postseason has been replaced by a vibe of uneasiness from several Suns officials who believe Johnson's return is no longer imminent. The Atlanta Hawks are expected to sign the restricted free agent to an offer sheet worth approximately five years and $70 million on July 22. The Suns have the right to match the offer, and many assumed they would in order to keep much of last season's Western Conference title contender intact. But Sarver is concerned about the long-term implications the deal would have on his club, especially when Amar? Stoudemire's contract extension kicks in beginning with the 2006-07 season. If Johnson returns to the Suns, approximately $54 million would be committed to Johnson, Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Steve Nash in 2006-07. With the reality of a salary cap and luxury tax - even when factoring in cap aids such as a midlevel exemption - the Suns will face challenges putting together a supporting cast. Sarver became a successful businessman by making decisions with his head, not his heart, and he has the bottom line and a profitability margin on his mind. That's fine, except that the Suns have sent out signals for several months that closing a deal with Johnson was a priority. General Manager Bryan Colangelo said in April that "my priority No. 1 is to sign Joe Johnson. My other priority No. 1 is to sign Amar? Stoudemire to an extension." Sarver has spoken many times of Johnson's greatness. Just two weeks ago, Stoudemire said: "I think the main thing right now is that we take care of Joe. I know Joe wants to be here." Those remarks led many fans to commit money and emotions to Johnson's return. The Suns have sold about 2,500 new season tickets and expect to move another 500. That means nearly 12,000 season tickets to occupy an 18,422-seat arena, which could translate to quite a few sellouts. Many of those fans wrote checks thinking Johnson would be back. </div> JJ deal isn't time for Sarver to turn frugal
If the Suns dont resign Johnson then the Kings will become the favorite to win the division.Top seed in the playoffs once again .
I really think phoenix will not let joe go, my reason for saying this is because they got rid off Q (unfortunately IMO) and there reason for doing this is to let joe have the ball more and return other players to there original position. They're not going to let him go easily and if I was Joe Johnson I would take less money in order to play alongside the league MVP, manchild amare and the matrix. On the other hand if Joe Johnson leaves I think it would be a completely stupid move and I don't think it would benefit the Hawks when you consider there status as a whole.
I'm still trying to understand why the Hawks want Joe Johnson, but i hope the suns can work out a deal with Joe. He is a very important part of the Suns. i don't understand why they are even offering Joe an all-star contract he's not an all-star yet.
I'm not surprised they want him. I'm surprised that theywant him so much. bronbron, we got rid of Q because he just sucked a lot of the season, and the Suns deseratly needed a big man that could rebound and play defense. Joe Johnson isn't important because he is our only shooting guard, which he isn't. He is important because he can shoot, defend, play 3 positions, and is just an all-around good player.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting bronbron23:</div><div class="quote_post">I really think phoenix will not let joe go, my reason for saying this is because they got rid off Q (unfortunately IMO) and there reason for doing this is to let joe have the ball more and return other players to there original position. They're not going to let him go easily and if I was Joe Johnson I would take less money in order to play alongside the league MVP, manchild amare and the matrix. On the other hand if Joe Johnson leaves I think it would be a completely stupid move and I don't think it would benefit the Hawks when you consider there status as a whole.</div> Isn't that one of the main reasons he wants to leave, so he's not playing second fiddle to those three guys?
Looks like it. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">AZCentral.com - According to John Gambadoro, Joe Johnson has told people close to him that he wants to part ways with the Phoenix Suns and play for the Atlanta Hawks . Johnson is convinced that he cannot be an All-Star playing behind Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Steve Nash and that he if goes to Atlanta he can be the focal point of a young team on the rise. Johnson is expected to sign a five-year, $70 million dollar offer sheet from Atlanta next week and hopes that the Suns don't match. That way he could team with Josh Smith, Josh Childress and Marvin Williams on a team that would feature four good young players under the age of 24. And being from the South, he would be playing closer to home. Johnson is apparently furious that the Suns did not take care of his contract status last year, opting instead to sign Quentin Richardson and then offering him less than a maximum deal this month.</div>
It sucks to be losing such an all around solid player. But not if he is all about the bills. Luckily I'm a fan of the *team* first and the players second. Much less stress in the off-season when we sometimes lose players. Mostly though it looks like just a series of bad timing in regards to contracts and the extant circumstances at the time.
for everyone who was wondering why the hawks want jj, ill explain. 1.) we suck. Billy Knight (ATL GM) is going after as much talent as he can get. and JJ is DEFINATELY the best player still on the market. 2.)He is a great playmaker, and would play PG in ATL, something he wants to do. 3.) he's athletic and tall. that fits in perfect with the way ATL plays. that would give us a starting backcourt of 2 6'8" players.
