JJ wants to go to Atlanta

[JCSunsfan]

All this means to me is JJ & his agent are making 100% sure that Atlanta is gunna make the max offer.

Truely Atlanta is his only chance at making that much money. So they are saying the right thing to get it done.

I am sure he wants to stay in PHX, but if he has to play in Atlanta to make that much money I dont think it is a hard choice to make. He would be "THE MAN" there and would get special treatmant. Not to mention after afew years he could demant a trade if they dont turn it around.

Nothing to get in a fuss about yet.

There is the possibility that this is true. If Atlanta becomes convinced that the Suns will match any offer for JJ, they could pull their offer off the table and move on to the next FA before signing day without having lost anything.

If they scream and yell and whatever right now they play the best game of chicken they can with the Suns. JJ has to give Atlanta hope to keep them on board.

I'm not saying this is the way it is, but it is possible.

JJ is incredibly talented, but has never impressed me as being that bright. Dice all over again.

 

[devilalum]

1. The Suns have to match to keep JJ as a bargaining chip if nothing else. They can trade him for talent if he becomes a problem. If they don't have him they can't get anything for him.
2. Doesn't JJ's family live in Arkansas? Atlanta is pretty close.
3. Some guys don't like playing in pressure situations. Maybe JJ sees playing for the Hawks as an easier way to earn his $70 mil.
4. This is probably all BS or posturing but not everybody wants to play for the Suns.

 

[az1965]

We need to hear this from more reliable sources before blasting JJ...

 

[JCSunsfan]

honestly - even if this was true - you know what? Tough sh*t JJ. I know it would be tough coming back to a team that had the best record in the league with the MVP and the soon to be most dominating low post presence in the game - he'll suck it up and play - period. Elton Brand made the same comments when he signed an offer sheet with the Heat - if he could come back and have a good attitude on the CLIPPERS - JJ should have no problem doing the same on the Suns.

Bottom line - if JJ's really THAT valuable, he'll be resigned and if there's problems down the line, he'll be moved then - to the highest bidder and we could get a much better deal than the hot garbage on Atlanta.

Cheese, I don't usually agree with you, but this post is dead on.

 

[SirStefan32]

If Atlanta is his prefered destination, he should go right ahead. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, JJ.

 

[azsouthendzone]

Can the Suns resign Amare to the max and sign JJ to a big deal as well? If not, then bye JJ and resign Amare. The worst thing that could happen is they sign JJ to a max and screw themselves out of resigning Amare.

 

[Joe Mama]

One of the things I picked out of that thread on the ESPN message board was that Gambo said a sign and trade would be nearly impossible because of BYC. I'm no expert on BYC, but I don't think that should be an issue because we would be sending him to a team that is well under the salary cap. it should be easier this year because salaries only have to come within 25%. I'll have to go look at the rules. That might not even matter with Atlanta being so far under the salary cap.

I am pretty sure that the Phoenix Suns could not trade JJ within the next year if they match an offer for him.

Joe

 

[jandaman]

As some people have stated. If this is true, The suns will still most likely match the offer and trade JJ if necessary, instead of getting absolutely nothing for him.

The suns are in a contendership reign right now, so they will trade rather than lose someone in the fa.

 

[Chaplin]

honestly - even if this was true - you know what? Tough sh*t JJ. I know it would be tough coming back to a team that had the best record in the league with the MVP and the soon to be most dominating low post presence in the game - he'll suck it up and play - period. Elton Brand made the same comments when he signed an offer sheet with the Heat - if he could come back and have a good attitude on the CLIPPERS - JJ should have no problem doing the same on the Suns.

Bottom line - if JJ's really THAT valuable, he'll be resigned and if there's problems down the line, he'll be moved then - to the highest bidder and we could get a much better deal than the hot garbage on Atlanta.

I haven't agreed with you much, cheese, but I'm with you on this one.

 

[Goldfield]

Although if he does go to Atlanta we wont have to worry about him hurting us in the playoffs.

 

[Chaz]

Can the Suns resign Amare to the max and sign JJ to a big deal as well? If not, then bye JJ and resign Amare. The worst thing that could happen is they sign JJ to a max and screw themselves out of resigning Amare.

I don't think there is any question of the Suns signing Amare.

The question is how long can they afford all four of these players.

 

[jw7]

I'm just a casual NBA fan, so rip away at my logic if I'm flawed, but if the motivation for JJ going to Atlanta is to be "the man" and an all-star, I think he's high.

- Who is ATL's point guard? Their top assist person only had 5.5 assists.

- Part of the luxury of playing on the Suns is that you don't get the opponents best defender on you night after night. That won't happen in ATL.

- How many of JJ's points were wide-open shots from Nash wreaking havoc in the key and passing it outside?

And if he is thinking about becoming an all-star in the east, it is going to be tough. Two of the guard slots are locked up for years to come (James and Wade). Then you still have to consider Iverson, Kidd, Hamilton, Francis, Pierce, Arenas, Marbury and whatever young kids start to show up.

 

[sunsfn]

I am not sure I believe that JJ said the things Gambo is saying.

I also was not sure that Brand said the things that were reported. Now Brand would be easier to believe because he plays for the Clippers, JJ plays for the team that had the best record in the NBA last year.

I am of the group that says I want to hear it from the source before I believe it.

 

[baltimorer]

Ya know what, the Phoenix Suns stuck with this guy from the day they traded for him. Actually, if you consider the fact that he was stuck riding the pine in Boston, the Phoenix Suns stuck with this guy from BEFORE they traded for him! He comes in here, and he doesn't have to work a day, and they put him in the starting lineup. Did he earn that starting job? No, they just gave it to him.

Joe Johnson owes a whole lot of whatever contract he signs to the Suns' management and past coaching staffs, because if it weren't for them, Joe Johnson would never be where he is right now. You're telling me this kid, who made a habit of folding under pressures that wouldn't even crease a pair of linen pants, would be able to accomplish what he has in the past year and a half if the Suns hadn't constantly been backing him up? They spent two years, every week, making excuses for this guy, saying, "He's still only 20" or "He's just 21," or "Who cares if he started off the season 1-10 against San Antonio, it's a lot of pressure for him." When Penny Hardaway deserved the starting spot over JJ in 2002, the team stuck with the horribly inconsistent Joe Johnson. When even Casey Jacobsen looked better than JJ, they stuck with Joe Johnson.

And now he wants to go to Atlanta?

But I have a theory about this. If you think back to the 2002-2003 first round series against San Antonio in the playoffs, the Suns needed JJ to step up, and he shot 35% from the field; when the Spurs needed Stephen Jackson to step up, he did. He filled the role for the Spurs that JJ couldn't fulfill for the Suns. And after that season, when the Spurs made a good run but fell short of the NBA Finals, Jackson signed with Atlanta.

Maybe JJ wants to be the next Stephen Jackson?

 

[jandaman]

Im hoping JJ's agent is bluffing himself.


The way I see it, the suns keep mouthing off about matching the contract and scaring teams to back off offers. Right now the Hawks has not signed JJ, and if they flinch at the end because they are convinced the suns are gonna match anyways... they will back off without any signed papers and the suns can offer JJ a lower salary.

right now, its JJ's agent's best interest to get JJ to sign that offer sheet before Hawks realized that the suns will truelly match. Right now JJ's agent is telling the hawks that they are interested in going to the Hawks (as funny as that sounds) to keep that offer sheet ready to be signed. JJ firmly believe the suns will match anyways so he gets to stay with the suns.. simply saying he wants to go to the hawks so they leave that offer sheet for him.

basically as most have stated before.

 

[cly2tw]

If Atlanta were really his truly preferred destination, I'd say we test their resolve by initiating sign and trade talks. We can also tell Joe that we'd match no matter what but would be willing to trade him to Hawks in a year if there was an offer on the table to please him, but we just couldn't let him go without any compensation. So, he or his agent should stop saying anything stupid or make him look stupid in the NBA. In fact, like Martin did last year, JJ's agent should try to get a sign and trade to get him more money, if people were right about Joe's being more valuable than Allen and Redd. Settling for the low-max is a sign that they are just posturing, imo.

Joe, the BYC is not applicable in this case since the receiving team has all the cap to take on Joe's contract.

 

[coloradosun]

honestly - even if this was true - you know what? Tough sh*t JJ. I know it would be tough coming back to a team that had the best record in the league with the MVP and the soon to be most dominating low post presence in the game - he'll suck it up and play - period. Elton Brand made the same comments when he signed an offer sheet with the Heat - if he could come back and have a good attitude on the CLIPPERS - JJ should have no problem doing the same on the Suns.

Bottom line - if JJ's really THAT valuable, he'll be resigned and if there's problems down the line, he'll be moved then - to the highest bidder and we could get a much better deal than the hot garbage on Atlanta.

You know cheese I don't agree with you very often, but you are dead on with this.

 

[RJ May]

I don't think JJ want's to leave the team. I just think he wants more touches and he will get them now that Q is gone.

 

[newfan101]

BLAH BLAH BLAH

This is 100% Art Tellem. The Suns stance that they would absolutely match any contract probably gave Billy Knight some doubts, so Tellem creates this "drama" to keep Atlanta interested in giving Johnson the max. Tellem couldn't care less where Johnson goes as long as he gets his max commission, and Johnson is too young and starry-eyed about a max contract to object to creating this BS issue.

The fact that this story was "broken" by Gambo gives this no real credibility.

 

[devilalum]

Here's a thought.


Why would the Hawks offer JJ a contract if he said he didn't really want to be there? What he really wants is for the Suns to offer him a boatload of money.

I'm sure JJ's agent and the Hawks told him that he needed to sell it if the Hawks make him an offer.

What would we have thought if last summer Q had said, "I just signed this offer sheet to get more money out of the Clips, that's where I really want to be."

How would the Suns organization have felt if Q had this attitude?

JJ has to say he really wants to be in Atlanta whether he really wants to be there or not.

 

[sly fly]

You know Cheese, I don't agree with you... ah enough with the butt-kissing.

JJ ain't goin' nowhere! Relax! It's John friggin' Gambodoro.

His "inside sources" said T-Mac wanted to play with Kobe here in PHX. I can remember his exact tone when the situation came up. He had everybody wondering, and that's why the issue became such a hot topic on this board.

Fast forward to today (a slow sports period), and Gambo breaks the news that his friend's friend's 2nd cousin overheard JJ saying he wanted to play in front of 2,100 people night after night in Sucklanta.

I don't buy it.

That being said, JJ would be a damn fool not to get as much $$$ out of this as he can. His agent wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't explore the $$$. Remember, his agent has $$$ in mind as well. A cut of $20 mil up front can can pay the bills for a long time, even if it means shippng his client off to purgotory.

I would be absolutely in SHOCK if PHX somehow became infested with Sterling-itis and let JJ walk. Especially after sending Q away. It wouldn't make sense. JJ does not hold all the cards, and he'll have to "suck it up" and play for a championship contender.

 

[Mainstreet]

I said last season that a sign and trade would be the most likely result if JJ's contract was not extended. Only time will tell. However, I have not even thought about the aspect of the Suns just not matching an offer from another team.

If the Suns actually let JJ go (without a sign and trade) what kind of money would be freed this year to acquire new players and what other implications might it have?

[My preference of course is to keep JJ unless he is turning into another McDyess, one of my least favorite players of all time. Certainly I'm prejudice about McDyess as a person as he used Phoenix twice, but I would prefer to leave that topic for another day.]

 

[elindholm]

McDyess, one of my least favorite players of all time.

Soul brother!

The question of what salary flexibility the Suns would gain by letting Johnson walk was addressed in another thread, not that I can find it. Basically they'd have some chump change, perhaps as much as $4 million, but no more than that. Definitely not worth it. If they decide not to keep Johnson, their only realistic option is a sign-and-trade involving a third team, because Atlanta doesn't have any talent to ship back in a two-team deal.

 

[asudevil83]

i'm going to be the first to say this probably.....but i think if JJ goes, then Marion goes.

JJ would be the key to our championship team, and if we werent competing for a championship anymore, then what's the reason for being over the cap for the next few years? honestly, with sarver's tight pocketbook, i wouldnt be suprised to see him say "what's the point?"

is say do JJ for Harrington/Childress. we'd be doing Atlanta a favor by taking Harrington. he's really just cap filler right now for them. they arent going to resign him, and this frees them up some cap space to go after a couple more big name FA's.

with that done, i think Marion would be on his way out. Maybe something like Iggy/Mashburn/First for him? there, we'd have some MAJOR cap relief after this season with Mashburn/Eisley/Harrington off the books. we'd be at $36.5mil (including Amare's cap hold). that would leave us with the space to sign a couple nice FA's next offseason.

but with those trades our lineup would be:

Amare/Hunter
Thomas/Harrington
Childress/JJax
Iggy/Bell
Nash/Barbs

 

[PhxGametime]

IMO if the Suns can't get Josh Smith or Al Harrington or maybe 2 First Round Picks, I say match and Trade him when able too. I DO NOT want Childress as the top piece. Which probably means...