Joe Johnson and 119 Million Reasons Why Free Agency Is Ridiculous

Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks was reportedly offered a six year, $119 million deal to remain in Atlanta, and if this is true the rest of the NBA free agency period will probably follow the same ridiculous path.

I recently penned an article questioning the merits of Chris Bosh as a max contract player, and that line of thought goes doubly for Johnson who is a decent talent but is nowhere near the same category as Bosh.

I wonder what the Hawks were thinking when they made that offer to Johnson and whether or not they understand what the possible consequences of their actions could be.

Johnson's salary would average out to around $19.8 million per season, and it would set a nasty precedent for the real stars yet to sign such as Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade.

Wade has previously said that this high-profile class of free agents would keep their eyes on what their peers are doing, and if he is watching this, imagine the images of dollar signs dancing in Wade's head.

If Johnson can manage to wrangle $119 million out of Atlanta, then what would a player like Wade be worth, especially considering his game is held in higher regards than Johnson's?

Surely Wade could demand $130 million over the same period of time, and James may even be able to tip the scales upwards of $140 million.

Those are pretty impressive numbers, but even more so when you consider how Johnson's deal may have also opened the door to exorbitant demands from the lower tier of free agents.

Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas may belong in the top tier of free agents anyway, but now Mark Cuban knows that any offer less than Johnson's may equal the Mavericks' first season without their top player.

Carlos Boozer, who is a middling free agent, just saw his value rise, despite his otherwise lack-luster performance in the 2010 regular season and postseason.

No longer will Boozer be willing to accept secondary money, because if Johnson can be paid like a top-tier star, then he can too, and most of the noteworthy free agents will probably follow that same line of thought.

This free agency class has been called the best crop of players to hit the market in the NBA's history, and by the time the final contract is signed it may be the most expensive in history as well.

Some media types are already declaring Johnson's offer the worst in professional sports history, but they should reserve that honor for some of the other horrible deals which are sure to follow.

Observers who were hoping for a super team pairing of multiple free agent stars may want to hold those dreams for a second also, because which free agent in their right mind would pass up Johnson's type of money to play with someone else?

There will not be many teams willing to shell out $200 million for a Wade and Bosh combination, and if you add James to the mix the figures soar well above $300 million.

The truly ridiculous thing is Johnson has not done anything to prove he is worthy of that type of payday, and even though he exists as the best player on his team, is he a top 10 player in the league?

The Atlanta Hawks have started the descent down a very slippery slope, and for those who were of the opinion that this free agent class would change the destiny of the league, Johnson's signing is an ominous sign.

During a time when most regular people are scrapping to survive and dealing with things such as the rising cost of healthcare, Johnson's offer illustrates how out of touch with reality the NBA really is.

Yep, this move by the Hawks definitely signals a change in the NBA, but I'm not sure this is the type of change we as fans can believe in.