OJ Mayo took less money to play for the mavs.

[ninous26]

Says he didn't want to play for a team that loses 60 games (suns) and its obviously not fun.


Thoughts?


That kind of hurt.

 

[Beaver]

That kind of attitude probably doesn't need to be in the locker room anyways. Didn't he believe he could have been a big part in a winning record?

 

[Mainstreet]

Says he didn't want to play for a team that loses 60 games (suns) and its obviously not fun.


Thoughts?


That kind of hurt.

Not coming from Mayo or his agent. Apparently the Suns offered him more money. Mayo has to know he is less than Eric Gordon.

 

[JS22]

Isn't he on a 2 year contract with the 2nd being a player option? Sounds to me like he wants to play on large role on a popular team and try to cash in big after a year.

 

[Gaddabout]

Says he didn't want to play for a team that loses 60 games (suns) and its obviously not fun.


Thoughts?


That kind of hurt.

What would you expect this current roster to do? I'd guess -60, too.

 

[Gaddabout]

That kind of attitude probably doesn't need to be in the locker room anyways. Didn't he believe he could have been a big part in a winning record?

Mayo seems to understand his place in the NBA and knows he's a role player, not a feature player. I tip my cap to a player like that. I think what's not being said is playing with Dirk Nowitzki is probably pretty good for a guard's stats.

 

[95pro]

Isn't he on a 2 year contract with the 2nd being a player option? Sounds to me like he wants to play on large role on a popular team and try to cash in big after a year.

but he's SOL of he doesnt produce, in the case that he doesn't produce he'll likely pick up the player option. he's secured for atleast two years whether he does well or not.

 

[cly2tw]

Mayo seems to understand his place in the NBA and knows he's a role player, not a feature player. I tip my cap to a player like that. I think what's not being said is playing with Dirk Nowitzki is probably pretty good for a guard's stats.

Smart indeed, knowing his own strength and weakness.

 

[carey]

I don't think Collison-Mayo-Marion-Dirk-Kaman is a 50+ win team though. Their bench is kinda blah too. I guess we'll see.

 

[sunsfan88]

Apparently Dragic feels the opposite way of Mayo

Dragic said the Rockets, Raptors and Bobcats all chased him, with Charlotte offering the most money.

Gentry said he “was actually really surprised” that he was even available to the Suns after his strong second half.

Read more: http://valleyofthesuns.com/2012/07/...ing-back-improved-goran-dragic/#ixzz21FfJOhO1

 

[95pro]

If that money hungry douch JJ wasn't chasing money, we'd have at least 1 title right now. Instead he obtained two grossly overpaid contracts. Good for him.

 

[Griffin]

If that money hungry douch JJ wasn't chasing money, we'd have at least 1 title right now. Instead he obtained two grossly overpaid contracts. Good for him.

Seriously?

If JJ was the difference between the Suns winning and not winning a title, then he would have been worth every penny of that contract he got from Atlanta. Sarver could have kept him if he wanted to. Instead, he chose to start slowly dismantling the team after just one season together because unlike other teams chasing titles at that time, he couldn't afford to pay luxury tax.

 

[elindholm]

Instead, he chose to start slowly dismantling the team after just one season together because unlike other teams chasing titles at that time, he couldn't afford to pay luxury tax.

Am I the only one who remembers that Sarver offered to match Atlanta's maximum offer for Johnson? Or was that "fact" not true when it was reported?

 

[Griffin]

Am I the only one who remembers that Sarver offered to match Atlanta's maximum offer for Johnson? Or was that "fact" not true when it was reported?

I don't think it's ever been clearly established that the Suns had a real intention of matching that offer. But if so, why didn't they? It's the same situation as with Gordon this year. Both JJ and Gordon felt low-balled by the team's initial offers and got themselves a max offer elsewhere, proclaiming they did not wish to return. But NO matched anyway, while the Suns opted for a cheaper option (sign-and-trade).

 

[Phrazbit]

I don't think it's ever been clearly established that the Suns had a real intention of matching that offer. But if so, why didn't they? It's the same situation as with Gordon this year. Both JJ and Gordon felt low-balled by the team's initial offers and got themselves a max offer elsewhere, proclaiming they did not wish to return. But NO matched anyway, while the Suns opted for a cheaper option (sign-and-trade).

Gordon's contract was cheaper than JJ's, and New Orleans was not facing the luxury tax by keeping him. And the Suns never made a S&T offer (thankfully), so we cant really say for certain what New Orleans would have done.

The mistake with JJ was low balling him earlier that same year, we could have signed him for much less.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Am I the only one who remembers that Sarver offered to match Atlanta's maximum offer for Johnson? Or was that "fact" not true when it was reported?

They did. But were offered a pick and Diaw, who was a player they wanted anyway. That s&t for JJ was not a bad deal at all for the Suns, except for Atlanta getting so lucky with the ping pong balls.

 

[elindholm]

I don't think it's ever been clearly established that the Suns had a real intention of matching that offer. But if so, why didn't they? It's the same situation as with Gordon this year. Both JJ and Gordon felt low-balled by the team's initial offers and got themselves a max offer elsewhere, proclaiming they did not wish to return. But NO matched anyway, while the Suns opted for a cheaper option (sign-and-trade).

As far as I know, that's correct. But it shows that the real issue wasn't money, but a clash of egos between Johnson and someone with the Suns -- maybe Sarver, maybe Stoudemire, maybe D'Antoni, who knows.

It's very common for a team and a young player looking at his first big extension to be some distance apart on numbers. The player wants more than the team wants to pay, and there is posturing, and usually they come to some sort of deal, almost always closer to the player's number than the team's. What made the Johnson case different was that he genuinely didn't want to be in Phoenix. That may point to some other flaw in the Suns organization, but it wasn't about money.

In any case, I don't understand all of the crying over Johnson's departure. Those who say "He would have been perfect as a third option" are overlooking the fact that he doesn't have the personality to accept being a third option -- which is to say that, no, he wouldn't have been perfect at all. And of course we have seen how effective he has been as a first option in Atlanta: specifically, not very.

 

[Mainstreet]

They did. But were offered a pick and Diaw, who was a player they wanted anyway. That s&t for JJ was not a bad deal at all for the Suns, except for Atlanta getting so lucky with the ping pong balls.

This is true. Those cursed ping pong balls.