Suns trade Joe Johnson to Atlanta

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0801suns0801.html

Phoenix will sign Johnson to Atlanta's terms and trade him to the Hawks for
two-year guard Boris Diaw, two first-round picks (a protected Atlanta one
and another the Hawks acquired) and a $4.9 million trade exception that can
be used to offset salary gaps in a future deal.

The arrow points both ways in the blame game. Johnson was upset that the
Suns would not give him $50 million over six years last summer and then
offered $60 million over five years last month as a counter to Atlanta's
maximum deal.

He had hoped Phoenix would open July with a huge offer, became upset when he
was asked to choose between offers and rejected a Suns request to
restructure the $69.6 million.

His Atlanta deal will include a $20 million payment this month.

Johnson told several people that being a third option on the Suns was
"unacceptable." He reportedly resented teammates' star treatment and
disliked Amaré Stoudemire after a March halftime incident in Miami.

After Dwyane Wade's 19-point half, Stoudemire barked at Johnson in front of
the team: "Are you going to play any (expletive) defense?"

Stoudemire got seven shots in the next game and then sat out two with ankle
inflammation. Johnson played his best ball after that but told friends he
would never re-sign.

in article dclb0q$lpv@dispatch.concentric.net, s_knight8 at
s_knight8nospam.DeleteThis@hotmail.com wrote on 8/1/05 10:19 AM:

> http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0801suns0801.html
>
> Phoenix will sign Johnson to Atlanta's terms and trade him to the Hawks for
> two-year guard Boris Diaw, two first-round picks (a protected Atlanta one
> and another the Hawks acquired) and a $4.9 million trade exception that can
> be used to offset salary gaps in a future deal.
>
> The arrow points both ways in the blame game. Johnson was upset that the
> Suns would not give him $50 million over six years last summer and then
> offered $60 million over five years last month as a counter to Atlanta's
> maximum deal.
>
> He had hoped Phoenix would open July with a huge offer, became upset when he
> was asked to choose between offers and rejected a Suns request to
> restructure the $69.6 million.
>
> His Atlanta deal will include a $20 million payment this month.
>
> Johnson told several people that being a third option on the Suns was
> "unacceptable." He reportedly resented teammates' star treatment and
> disliked Amar?toudemire after a March halftime incident in Miami.
>
> After Dwyane Wade's 19-point half, Stoudemire barked at Johnson in front of
> the team: "Are you going to play any (expletive) defense?"
>
> Stoudemire got seven shots in the next game and then sat out two with ankle
> inflammation. Johnson played his best ball after that but told friends he
> would never re-sign.

Oh my God, Joe Johnson, you are a woman.

But: he was upset because Amare Stoudemire was mean to him, resolved never
to re-sign, and then was upset when Phoenix didn't make him a big offer in
July. Which was after this halftime in March, if I've got my chronology
right.

And why TF didn't he say anything about this a month ago? Half the NBA
would've been trying to swing a sign-'n'-trade -- did he WANT to get stuck
going to Atlanta?

And what does Stoudemire getting seven shots and then having an inflamed
ankle have to do with anything?

--
Jeremey