Joe Johnson Big Winner In Free Agency
Despite the Heat’s signing of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, it was Joe Johnson and his $120+ contract who were the big winners in the NBA’s free agency market of 2010.
Setting Up the Joe Johnson Situation
The Atlanta Hawks were in a tough situation, or so they would have you believe. Their four-time All-Star and leading scorer, Joe Johnson, was out of contract at the end of the year and able to leave the Hawks as a free agent. The ownership group in Atlanta made resigning Joe Johnson it’s top off-season priority, feeling that the 53-win team had much more to give. Most fans in Atlanta would have welcomed Joe back with open arms, had he not run his mouth in the playoffs and put up an absolute stinker of a performance.
So here they were, the Atlanta Hawks, with a decision of what to offer their best player. Atlanta was the only team in a position to offer a 6-year contract. Other teams could only give Joe Johnson a 5 year deal. Interest around the league for Joe Johnson’s services was reportedly pretty substantial, noting particular interest from the New York Knicks or Chicago Bulls. Given the prisoner’s dilemma (offer him Johnson too much and you’ll overpay him, or too little and risk getting nothing in return for your best player), the Hawks panicked.
Joe Johnson’s MAX Contract
The Atlanta Hawks gifted Joe Johnson a max deal: 6 years, $120+ million. In case you are wondering, that is more than LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, and Ama’re Stoudemire got. Yes, Joe Johnson secured the highest payday of any NBA player. Is he worth it? Not really. The best strategy was to call the bluff of other teams and offer JoJo something on the order of $105 million for 6 years. If somebody gives him more, swallow your pride and go after some younger 2 guards or put the money into signing a legitimate big man to help out Al Horford. There was a mixed response by both fans and players when the Joe Johnson deal was announced. He is clearly the best player on the team, but also a high volume shooter who has yet to prove he can carry a team in the playoffs.
Young stars like Al Horford and Josh Smith need to be more involved in the offensive sets and the “Iso Joe” (isolation plays for Joe Johnson) should be completely removed from the playbook. New coach and former assistant Larry Drew has his work cut out for him. He needs to build on the success of the 53 wins last year, but do in a more competitive Eastern Conference with a spotlight on JoJo’s performance.
The verdict for the Hawks’ signing of Joe Johnson will not likely be revealed this season or next, but in 4 years when he is dogging it up the court. Big contracts are rarely motivating but the Hawks did what they thought was best for the team. It’s up to Joe Johnson to prove his doubters wrong.
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Tagged with: Atlanta Hawks • free agency • Joe Johnson • NBA
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