NBA Trade Rumors: Dealing Joe Johnson for Expiring Deals Would Be Best for Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks need to press reset, and the easiest way to do that is to find a way to dump Joe Johnson. Per ESPN's Marc Stein and Chad Ford, they may have found a way to do that:
"The Brooklyn Nets and Hawks are engaged in ongoing talks on a multiplayer deal that would send several expiring contracts to the Atlanta for All-Star guard Joe Johnson, according to sources briefed on the discussions.
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Right now, the Nets are a little wary of how much financial responsibility they will have to take, and they would prefer not to part with MarShon Brooks, whom the Hawks covet.
If parting with Johnson means the Hawks need to be flexible, then so be it. The players the Hawks would reportedly be in line to receive are: Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Anthony Morrow and Jordan Williams.
Johnson is the beneficiary of one of the worst contracts in the NBA, he is scheduled to make $19.2 million in the upcoming season. The total will continue to escalate, hitting over $25 million per year in the final year, the 2015-2016 season.
The Nets are hoping that acquiring him will entice unrestricted free agent Deron Williams to stay. That could work for New Jersey, because Johnson wouldn't have to be the man in Brooklyn.
For the Hawks, they are stuck in mediocrity for as long Johnson wears a Hawks uniform. He's a talented player, he has averaged at least 18 points per game for the last six seasons, but he's a trap player.
He's good enough to put up impressive numbers, leading you to the playoffs and thus garner a large contract. But in the postseason you find out how special he isn't.
It has placed the Hawks in a state of middle-of-the-packness. The Hawks will consistently make the playoffs with Johnson, so they won't get a favorable draft pick, and he makes too much, along with Al Horford and Josh Smith, to pay a top-flight free agent.
The Hawks essentially have a big three, that isn't so big.
Johnson is the ring leader, and shipping him to the Nets for expiring contracts would speed up the teams' ability to move to the next chapters.
The Hawks need to make this happen, with or without MarShon Brooks included in the deal, and with some assumption of Johnson's ridiculous contract.
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