AJC: Hawks To Offer Full Max To Joe Johnson

[coachx]

If you expect me to believe that in five years the best players the Hawks could have acquired were Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford...

BTW, this move would put the Hawks with $2-3M of what is likely to be the luxury tax.

Yes that is exactly what I'm saying. We had no peices to trade, H....other then expiring contracts we turned into Crawford and Bibby.

Smoove's BYC status just ended this past year.

The salaries for Horford and Smoove are such bargains why move them on their rookie contracts when you still don't know how good they would become ?

Exactly. This team has had chances to improve its roster and the ASG wouldn't spend the dinero for it.

Examples are ?

New MC article from ajc at 4:08:

http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2010/06/30/atlanta-hawks-all-in-with-max-offer-for-joe-johnson/?cxntfid=blogs_hawks

Edited June 30, 2010 by coachx

[Sothron]

Yes that is exactly what I'm saying. We had no peices to trade, H.

Examples are ?

Using the MLE and LLE to sign players, using expiring contracts to get upgrades on rosters and potentially using young pieces like Marvin, Smoove, Chillz or Al to get better at their respective positions.

[gsuteke]

I absolutely can, actually. I don't see any other team that is signing max guys selling picks for money. I don't see any other team that is signing max guys hiring the cheapest coach in the NBA. I don't see any other team that is signing max guys not using the MLE or LLE.

Look if they offer that guy 120 million not to win a championship - just to stay relevant - I think you're nit picking at this point.

[exodus]

No deal can be signed until the second week in july so i am pretty indifferent to any rumor that comes out now. However i really don't know what i would do if i was making the call. Would i overpay to keep him with a new CBA looming? Would i just let him walk? We can speculate all day about possible SNT deals but we don't know what is being offered.

I don't think there is a clear correct path. If there is i don't see it.

[AHF]

BTW, this move would put the Hawks with $2-3M of what is likely to be the luxury tax.

Which goes back to why it may be penny-wise and pound foolish to not use the #31 pick to get a lower salaried player with upside over a more expensive veteran -- especially if we sign JJ to a max deal.

[mrhonline]

Yes that is exactly what I'm saying. We had no peices to trade, H.

I don't agree, but don't want to spend the next 24 hours focusing on the past.

Here's what I do know - the Hawks WILL have to do one of the following if they give Joe this contract:

1. Fill out the rest of the roster with young players for the minimum.

2. Trade someone on the roster to stay under the tax.

3. Pay the tax.

Options #1 and #2 mean the Hawks will remain the decent, but not great team. Option #3 conflicts with the coaching hire and draft moves.

Why would they leak this info if it's untrue???

[coachx]

Using the MLE and LLE to sign players, using expiring contracts to get upgrades on rosters and potentially using young pieces like Marvin, Smoove, Chillz or Al to get better at their respective positions.

We used the LLE all the time.

I agree on the MLE.

Your just a ASG hater and alwayse have been.

Trade Al Horford's rookie contract to get better at center ? Name the centers better then Al Horford and tell me a team wants to trade them away with a straight face.

Smoove keeps getting better. Though he is the most tradeable one since his contract is big enough to match up with other good players.

[Sothron]

Look if they offer that guy 120 million not to win a championship - just to stay relevant - I think you're nit picking at this point.

Why would you refuse to really invest financially into your roster for years and completely gut your own team in the Thrashers and then all of a sudden drop 120 million on a non super star player to maintain a team that is completely incapable of making it beyond the second round of the playoffs? It makes no sense. That is even worse than being cheap. Why all of a sudden would you drop 120 million on one player when you have other players to pay, a roster to fill out and still at the end of the day have a roster that is nothing more than a quick second round exit?

Can anyone explain this thinking, seriously?

[sturt]

No deal can be signed until the second week in july so i am pretty indifferent to any rumor that comes out now. However i really don't know what i would do if i was making the call. Would i overpay to keep him with a new CBA looming? Would i just let him walk? We can speculate all day about possible SNT deals but we don't know what is being offered.

I don't think there is a clear correct path. If there is i don't see it.

June 30, 2010.

The day sturt and exodus agreed on something.

[Sothron]

We used the LLE all the time.

I agree on the MLE.

Your just a ASG hater and alwayse have been.

Trade Al Horford's rookie contract to get better at center ? Name the centers better then Al Horford and tell me a team wants to trade them away with a straight face.

Smoove keeps getting better. Though he is the most tradeable one since his contract is big enough to match up with other good players.

I find it funny that when this ownership consistently proves me right the entire site agrees with me but now I'm a hater? C'mon now. Let's don't start the internet mud slinging. I call it like I see it. When an ownership is cheap they deserve to be called on it. When an ownership is trying to win titles like Blank's Falcons they deserve credit.

[mrhonline]

Can anyone explain this thinking, seriously?

I can't. I have two guesses:

1. The brass have lost their mind/suck at their jobs.

2. This "leak" is untrue and the Hawks are once again gonna look cheap to the rest of the NBA world.

Surprisingly, the 2nd guess comforts me.

[AHF]

June 30, 2010.

The day sturt and exodus agreed on something.

:newspaper:

Looking at my newspaper, the AJC is reporting a sudden cold front passing through hell...

[Sothron]

I can't. I have two guesses:

1. The brass have lost their mind/suck at their jobs.

2. This "leak" is untrue and the Hawks are once again gonna look cheap to the rest of the NBA world.

Surprisingly, the 2nd guess comforts me.

Nice to know we're seeing eye to eye on this Mr H as usual. I don't believe this "leak" which IMO is probably Arn Tellum trying to make sure his player gets the full max.

[sturt]

Which goes back to why it may be penny-wise and pound foolish to not use the #31 pick to get a lower salaried player with upside over a more expensive veteran -- especially if we sign JJ to a max deal.

I know this has become a favorite drum of yours to beat, but just can't see your logic. By any measure, this roster's prime years are staring Sund in the face.

Sund had two choices: Hope he could find that exceedingly rare sub-30 pick who immediately makes an impact on his team,

...or...

pick up $3 million cash with which he would be better able to pick up someone who HAS ACTUALLY MADE AN NBA ROSTER before, and quite likely will impact the team to some extent for 2010 and 2011.

Sorry. Given the choices, I won't diss him for choosing B. It's more reasonable than A given the circumstances.

Maybe someone retorts, "Well, they shouldn't need the $3 million."

Doesn't matter whether they should or shouldn't. If they need it, they need it. So go get it and improve the team with the extra wad of money.

[sturt]

:newspaper:

Looking at my newspaper, the AJC is reporting a sudden cold front passing through hell...

Well played.

[coachx]

I find it funny that when this ownership consistently proves me right the entire site agrees with me but now I'm a hater? C'mon now. Let's don't start the internet mud slinging. I call it like I see it. When an ownership is cheap they deserve to be called on it. When an ownership is trying to win titles like Blank's Falcons they deserve credit.

Totaly agree on the Falcons. That is why I support them with season tickets.

Telling the truth with years of evidence is not mud slinging. Mud slinging is spreading false rumors. Something you might be pretty familiar with your repeated post on the ASG.

You have repeatedly said JJ will walk for nothing or we get Dampier in a S&T and renounce waive his non-guaranteed contract.

Live up to your own words and eat your crow. You can call the ASG stupid all you want. That is your opinion and we all have one.

You have called them cheap for years.

Even when they traded expiring contracts for Bibby and when the traded their expiring contracts for Crawford.

Now this could be a bad rumor but since its being reported by the teams own beat writer I'm buying it.

Edited June 30, 2010 by coachx

[DJlaysitup]

Wow! I'm Flabbergasted! I guess it's Crow on the Barbie for this 4th of July for me

I agree with AHF that there is no way ownership would be so cynical as to leak a max offer to our star while knowing it would end up being a SnT.

So maybe our ASG has gotten some good word on expected new minority owners? Whatever - it's not my money...just glad to have JJ back.

Joe Johnson for Threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[exodus]

June 30, 2010.

The day sturt and exodus agreed on something.

In the past the correct moves seemed pretty clear. Now.... not so much.

Sund is in an awkward spot with JJ.

Edited June 30, 2010 by exodus

[Sothron]

Telling the truth with years of evidence is not mud slinging. Mud slinging is spreading false rumors. Something you might be pretty familiar with your repeated post on the ASG.

You have repeatedly said JJ will walk for nothing or we get Dampier in a S&T and renounce waive his non-guaranteed contract.

Live up to your own words and eat your crow. You can call the ASG stupid all you want. That is your opinion and we all have one.

You have called them cheap for years.

Even when they traded expiring contracts for Bibby and when the traded their expiring contracts for Crawford.

Now this could be a bad rumor but since its being reported by the teams own beat writer I'm buying it.

I said it wouldn't surprise me IF we traded JJ for Dampier's contract or if JJ walked for nothing. I never said it was absolutely going to happen. It is an opinion which I am entitled to express not a statement of fact that I am regurgitating for the sake of doing so.

It isn't mud slinging when an ownership literally keeps one of its two teams a the league minimum payroll and lets superstar talent walk away. That's a fact. The same as when they sell picks, hire the cheapest coach in an entire league, hire only assistant coaches or minor leagues in hockey or even let the GM be the coach because they wouldn't pay two salaries. It is also a fact they don't spend the MLE and they had the cheapest payroll of all Eastern conference teams that made the playoffs for three years running.

Those, sir, are facts which any non homer would clearly see the state of things as they are. Not like how they wished it to be.

[lethalweapon3]

Late rumor is he's holding out for a contract similar to Elin Nordegren's. :-)

Really, I'll learn to accept the Max-times-Six deal eventually, on the Don't-Hate-The-Player-Hate-The-Game tip, but would really prefer there are some SNT deals A$G have planned, either for a younger star player with a shorter lease, or for some solid players to fill out our current roster.

Can they front-load the contract? The thought of a 34-year-old Joe raking in the GDP of Grenada, on a team that couldn't sell out in Grenada, gives me shivers.

~lw3