Suns to match Hawks offer for JJ

[[L3]1101]

Phoenix intends to match Atlanta's 5 years, $70 million
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- Joe Johnson's camp was informed Saturday that the Phoenix Suns intend to match Atlanta's expected five-year, $70 million offer to the restricted free agent, according to NBA front-office sources.

Word began spreading Friday at the Vegas Summer League that the Hawks have given Johnson a firm commitment that they'll sign him to a maximum offer sheet on July 22, which the league office has scheduled to be the first day free agents can sign contracts.

The Hawks' offer, sources said, is likely to be front-loaded with a payment as high as $20 million in the first year of the deal. Rules on such payments and other specifics of the deal are also on hold until July 22, when the league announces the salary-cap number for next season.

The rules on contract lengths, however, have already been finalized, and the Hawks are prevented from signing Johnson to a contract longer than five years. A maximum offer from the Suns would span six years at an estimated $90 million, matching the terms Michael Redd received from Milwaukee earlier this week, but sources say Phoenix has offered Johnson closer to $60 million over six seasons.

The Suns have maintained all season that they will match any offer Johnson gets, rating the versatile swingman as no less critical to the team's success than its three All-Stars: Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash and Shawn Marion. Matching a five-year offer, though, is undoubtedly more palatable than paying Johnson in the Redd range for six.

Various league executives have privately questioned whether the Suns would indeed match a max offer sheet to Johnson, given owner Robert Sarver's stated aversion to letting his annual payroll stray far beyond $50 million. With Johnson earning an average annual wage of $12 million and Stoudemire soon to receive a maximum contract extension that would kick in starting with the 2006-07 season, Phoenix would be in the rare position of carrying four players who earn roughly $50 million by themselves.

Arn Tellem, Johnson's agent, met with Phoenix president Bryan Colangelo and team chairman Jerry Colangelo during the Suns' summer-league game here Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers. All parties declined to comment.

The Hawks, sources said, are still expected to go ahead with signing Johnson to an offer sheet, hoping that the value of the contract, potential incentive clauses and the up-front payment will prompt Phoenix to change its mind.

The Hawks will also take encouragement from the new collective bargaining agreement, which lessens the risk of signing restricted free agents. Starting this offseason, teams will be given only seven days to match an offer to a restricted free agent, compared to the previous window of 15 days. Teams have been hesitant in the past to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets and then have their free-agent funds potentially tied up for 15 days.

After a breakthrough 62-win season, followed by a trip to the Western Conference finals, Phoenix went into the offseason hoping to re-sign Johnson, sign Stoudemire to the extension and add toughness. The Suns addressed the latter aim by trading swingman Quentin Richardson to the New York Knicks for power forward Kurt Thomas and then reaching a verbal agreement on the first day of the free-agent season with Utah Jazz guard Raja Bell.

The Suns are forbidden from publicly discussing the Bell deal until he officially signs July 22, but team sources have said repeatedly that Bell was targeted to back up Johnson -- not as an insurance policy in case Johnson is let go.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, click here to send a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.

[Jugs]

The Hawks SHOULDN'T sign Joe Johnson and Phoenix should sign Joe Johnson

[Sauru]

well the hawks cant sign him unless phoenix lets them

[AlwaysWhat,NeverWhy]

I don't think Phoenix should be 'bullied' into giving JJ that much money... Sometimes we have to consider the business aspect of the game... They have to give Amare a max extension, too.

[Matt]

is JJ really worth that much? He's a versatile player but he aint even an All Star and he's gonna get a whole lotta $$$

[Doobie]

Hes not an all-star but i believe he has the potential to become something really big in the leaugue . idk if hes worth that much yet , but maybe in the future hell be worth that plus more.

[cyanide]

He's a good player, and he does have potential, but it all depends on his confidence. He had confidence issues in the past, but he had a breakout year last year. He would definitely help the Suns, and I think he's a great piece to their puzzle. He's not worth that much, but hey, Nash is making big bucks, and so is Adonal Foyle. Might as well overspend to keep the best-record Suns intact. It might be worth it.

[Cloudy]

Damn Joe, he's becoming another rich but average player..damn

[[L3]1101]

maybe the suns wanna consider a sign-trade deal with hawks. They might be able to get 2-3 players out of JJ. Just a thought, cause JJ's not worth this much yet. Childress and JSmith playing for the suns isn't a bad idea at all. Though they are not shooters.... maybe Jacobsen back to the suns? or finley?

[Amphatoast]

yeah a sign and trade sounds good but i think the suns really feel they can win the championship next year is why they doing this signing i think. I don't think you can put a price on a first nba championship for a franchise. In the long run it may suck though

[Sauru]

i honestly dont think the suns can win with or without him, but i do feel thier chances are basicly the same either way.

[J@3]

Why aren't they using that money on someone who's over 6'10. Are they worried they'd win games? Do they get extra good seats for the draft? I don't get it.

[maes]

Considering everyone pegged Phoenix to be a bottom basement team, they proved everyone wrong using a system everyone said would fail, i think it's about time they we give Phoenix some benefit of the doubt.

But then again, even after the 5th championship, people kept telling Michael Jordan how he couldn't win in the NBA without all-star big men.

[air gordon]

good call...

that spurs-suns series would have been closer if JJ was available for all the games

[Andrew]

I don't think Phoenix should be 'bullied' into giving JJ that much money... Sometimes we have to consider the business aspect of the game... They have to give Amare a max extension, too.

Unfortunately that's the way restricted free agency works. Players can use it as a means of forcing their current teams to pay them what they want, so they'll take advantage of that. In that sense, it seems like something teams would want to get rid of, but it does offer them a bit of security albeit at a high price.

[Matt]

resigning him will be a mistake when he blows out his knee and sits on the bench.

overspending.

[air gordon]

just as likely as you changing your sig

[maes]

A 17 year veteran's take on JJ:

http://www.hoopshype.com/columns/hughes_johnson.htm

"Joe Johnson was the best player available to pair with LeBron James – not Allen, Redd or Larry Hughes, the player they eventually signed. The Cavs did the right thing chasing Allen first because he was unrestricted and Johnson is not. But after Allen chose to stay in Seattle, they should have done everything possible to get Johnson – and not chase Redd then settle on Hughes, who will struggle in Cleveland having to play a lot without the ball.

Here's why:

Johnson is as versatile as LeBron – only without the jumping ability. He can catch and shoot from anywhere on the floor. He has the ability to create shots for himself and teammates in the paint because he has the best ballhandling skills of any 6-7 player in the league other than James. Besides, he can defend four positions.

Johnson's numbers are just as good as the stats of the other top three free-agent shooting guards and he is not concerned about being the man, which would have allowed him to become a good match for LeBron.

I compare LeBron to Magic Johnson. He does not need players who command the ball, but guys that can finish and flourish playing with him.

Magic had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Byron Scott. Jabbar was great, but at the tail end of his career Worthy and Scott were excellent players whose games were enhanced because they received the ball from Magic in their scoring zones and shot high percentages."

(oh and JJ is considered one of the most durable players in the league in terms of both stamina & injury)

[beau_boy04]

I totally agreed! I couldn't agree more ! I always wanted to see JJ paired up with LBJ. He was my ideal player for the position and younger than both Allen and Redd.