If Joe Johnson Leaves

[dakast]

If Joe decides to leave this offseason do you guys think Crawford is capable of taking over as starting SG? And if so, would would have money to bring in another quality SG to come off of the bench....

PG - Bibby/ Teague

SG - Crawford/ ???

SF - Williams/ Evans

PF - Smith/ Smith

C - Horford/ Pachulia

I'm sure Sund would like for Joe to stay, but he's probably already trying to come up with a backup plan if he leaves.

[thefloydian]

If Joe leaves we're pretty much screwed. He's not the best, but he's the best we are capable of signing.

[MaceCase]

Bring in Larry Hughes to back Jamal up Sund!

[RLHawk]

I think the Hawks will be in the drivers seat in the FA market.

If Joe does not want to come back (which if we make it past the 2nd round..he would be a fool not to come back...winning is everything to a vet), then we use him to get one of the others....

The Hawks are quickly becoming the flash, excitement, championship caliber team. Free Agents and stars like coming to teams like this.

So if Joe wants to leave, where is he going to go? The team either has to have money (and cap space), be a contender, and want Joe or Atlanta has to work a trade. This limits things a lot for Joe. So where would he want to go?

NY - Lebron wants to go there and they will not win without Lebron but with Joe instead

CLE - if Lebron leaves then he may go there, but they have less than ATL

MIA - if Wade leaves then he may go there, but they have less than ATL (I would swap Joe for Wade in a second)

SA - Would you swap Joe for Manu?

Boston - If Ray Allen leaves, they may want him...but no cap room so would have to trade

what are your thoughts?

[Sothron]

If he left I would have to think we would try and sign and trade him for another player. We already have his replacement if necessary with Crawford.

[BusBoyIsBack]

If Joe Johnson leaves I might have to stop following sports in Atlanta. Talk about messing with a good thing. From 13 wins to what we are now and we don't keep it together?

It's not about Joe Johnson vs Jamal Crawford it's about Joe Johnson PLUS Jamal Crawford. The depth of having one come off the bench or even the two of them together in the lineup.

You don't mess with that.

Edited November 20, 2009 by BusBoyIsBack

[joeschmoe]

I don't think Joe will leave. We will have to give him a max contract, but with his Bird rights and the success of the Hawks, I would imagine he would decide to return.

If he did leave Crawford is in no way a replacement for Joe. He would, however, be our starting sg.

[tbhawksfan]

I think JJ stays. The Hawks can offer an xtra year and JJ is the leader of a team that can contend for the next few years if he stays. He and Smoove seem to be co-existing which seemed to be a prob in the past.

[Buzzard]

I think JJ stays. The Hawks can offer an xtra year and JJ is the leader of a team that can contend for the next few years if he stays. He and Smoove seem to be co-existing which seemed to be a prob in the past.

I think (hope) he stays also but still cannot get the thought of him wanting out of Phoenix when they had all that talent. Its a valid concern I think to have; but we can offer him an extra 15 to 20 million with that 6th year in our pocket. That is a lot of money to turn your nose up too, I do not care how rich you are...

[RLHawk]

I think (hope) he stays also but still cannot get the thought of him wanting out of Phoenix when they had all that talent. Its a valid concern I think to have; but we can offer him an extra 15 to 20 million with that 6th year in our pocket. That is a lot of money to turn your nose up too, I do not care how rich you are...

In ATL he can have both money and opportunity to win. Where else would he go to get both?

If he wants to be the leader...which is why he left Pheonix...then he has it here.

If he wants to be paid...then he has it here.

If he wants to contend for a Championship...then he has it here.

The only chance of him leaving in my opinion is for 1 of 3 spots

- Join Boston to replace Allen (potential championship)

- Join Wade in Miami (but they play the same position) (potential championship (although unlikely))

- Join SA to replace Manu (potential championship)

I think Boston is the only place that would be worth leaving ATL.

[Atlantaholic]

If Joe Johnson leaves I might have to stop following sports in Atlanta. Talk about messing with a good thing. From 13 wins to what we are now and we don't keep it together?

It's not about Joe Johnson vs Jamal Crawford it's about Joe Johnson PLUS Jamal Crawford. The depth of having one come off the bench or even the two of them together in the lineup.

You don't mess with that.

If Joe leaves it will be because he wants to.

[Buzzard]

In ATL he can have both money and opportunity to win. Where else would he go to get both?

If he wants to be the leader...which is why he left Pheonix...then he has it here.

If he wants to be paid...then he has it here.

If he wants to contend for a Championship...then he has it here.

The only chance of him leaving in my opinion is for 1 of 3 spots

- Join Boston to replace Allen (potential championship)

- Join Wade in Miami (but they play the same position) (potential championship (although unlikely))

- Join SA to replace Manu (potential championship)

I think Boston is the only place that would be worth leaving ATL.

I hope you are wrong and he sees no other place he would rather be. But these two facts worry me about JJ.

1- Phoenix was willing to match our offer and keep him. JJ did not want to stay.

2- They were a hell of a lot better than us back then. About 40 to 50 wins a season better.

JJ danced to the beat of a different drummer 5 years ago; I hope he is not dancing that way again after this season. I also think the extra year is bigger this time around because it will be his last near max or max offer.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Buzzard

[buckeye242424]

If Joe leaves it will be because he wants to.

That pretty much sums it up. You could add to it that the owners didn't want to pony up max dollars...because someone will offer it to him, it's a given. I gotta believe if by the end of the year, we're still tasting success, perhaps the ECF, JJ will be offered max money and 6 years here. If he turns that down, he just wants out of Dodge.

[HawkRock1123]

Yeah - the only way Joe leaving would not suck is if we pulled Wade or Lebron out of a sign-and-trade (unlikely). I don't even think getting Bosh would be worth losing Joe, especially considering we have Horford and Smoove.

[niremetal]

I hope you are wrong and he sees no other place he would rather be. But these two facts worry me about JJ.

1- Phoenix was willing to match our offer and keep him. JJ did not want to stay.

2- They were a hell of a lot better than us back then. About 40 to 50 wins a season better.

JJ danced to the beat of a different drummer 5 years ago; I hope he is not dancing that way again after this season. I also think the extra year is bigger this time around because it will be his last near max or max offer.

Phoenix most definitely was not willing to match our offer and keep him. Knight got bluffed. Do you really think Phoenix was about to invest $55-60M/year in just 4 players? JJ even said a year or two ago that Phoenix would never have matched.

Phoenix wasn't going to give JJ a contract any better than the one we gave Smoove. He would have to take a pretty massive pay cut (relatively speaking) to stay put.

Edited November 20, 2009 by niremetal

[jerrywest]

I forgot - what's the max we can offer for 6 years? What's the max other teams can offer for 5 years? He'll be a 10 year vet next off-season.

[Buzzard]

Phoenix most definitely was not willing to match our offer and keep him. Knight got bluffed. Do you really think Phoenix was about to invest $55-60M/year in just 4 players? JJ even said a year or two ago that Phoenix would never have matched.

Phoenix wasn't going to give JJ a contract any better than the one we gave Smoove. He would have to take a pretty massive pay cut (relatively speaking) to stay put.

I will go on what the Suns org said; you can go on what you think JJ said one or two years ago. Suns owner said he would match AND Nash said he flat out wanted JJ back. Nash even had a talk with JJ. I don't think the Suns were willing to argue with their best player since HOF Sir Charles; nor do I think they were willing to lose an all-star type player for nothing.

I guess you think no part of my argument, which I can find direct quotes on from here, is valid. Only thing important is what you think JJ said one or two years ago...

[niremetal]

I will go on what the Suns org said; you can go on what you think JJ said one or two years ago. Suns owner said he would match AND Nash said he flat out wanted JJ back. Nash even had a talk with JJ. I don't think the Suns were willing to argue with their best player since HOF Sir Charles; nor do I think they were willing to lose an all-star type player for nothing.

I guess you think no part of my argument, which I can find direct quotes on from here, is valid. Only thing important is what you think JJ said one or two years ago...

Here is a link with the quote:

"I had a few teams come at me that summer and they backed out because Phoenix put the word out that they were going to match anything," Johnson said. "A lot of teams were like, 'Why take a chance on Joe Johnson when you're not going to get him anyway.' And all along, Phoenix wasn't going to match. They were just scaring teams off. They didn't scare Atlanta off. The Hawks stayed in there. I'll always remember that."

The original article on AJC has been archived, but you can find it reprinted on lots of other blogs. Since lots of Hawks fans remember and talk about that interview, it didn't occur to me that you'd be such a condescending jackass as to challenge me to find a link to it and dismiss me as only citing "what I think JJ said one or two years ago." My mistake for overestimating you.

Edited November 21, 2009 by niremetal

[Chaze]

yea its goin to be jj's last contract with a nba team probably then well resign him to a 5 or 6 year contract then hell retire then we will all miss him then i think the hawks should retire his number if he does resign with us once he retires :thumbsupsmileyanim:

[Buzzard]

Here is a link with the quote:

The original article on AJC has been archived, but you can find it reprinted on lots of other blogs. Since lots of Hawks fans remember and talk about that interview, it didn't occur to me that you'd be such a condescending jackass as to challenge me to find a link to it and dismiss me as only citing "what I think JJ said one or two years ago." My mistake for overestimating you.

Phoenix most definitely was not willing to match our offer and keep him. Knight got bluffed. Do you really think Phoenix was about to invest $55-60M/year in just 4 players? JJ even said a year or two ago that Phoenix would never have matched.

Phoenix wasn't going to give JJ a contract any better than the one we gave Smoove. He would have to take a pretty massive pay cut (relatively speaking) to stay put.

Well the way you came at me was I am full of it because you know for a fact Phoenix was not going to match. Sorry but the only facts we have is what others say. Owner says he would have matched....JJ says he would not. History also shows us MOST teams do not lose RESTRICTED free agents for nothing. But with all that being said, yours nor my opinion is fact; so calling me dead wrong just because we differ in opinions; and actling like your opinion is the word of God is condescending as well.

In no uncertain terms, you responded to my initital post like a pompous know it all jackass as well...

Edited November 21, 2009 by Buzzard