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Yahoo: NY Far from JJ’s Top Option

by Tommy Dee on June 28th, 2010 at 11:36 am

Via Yahoo:

“…Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will pursue a sign-and-trade to lure Atlanta Hawks free agent Joe Johnson(notes), league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Mavericks are unlikely to engage the Cleveland Cavaliers into a sign-and-trade for LeBron James(notes), but Johnson has emerged as a realistic target for the Mavericks. Johnson, is more likely to embrace a sign-and-trade to the contending Mavs than sign a free-agent contract with New York or Chicago, sources said.

“New York is far from his first option,” one source with knowledge of Johnson’s thinking said…The Knicks will turn swiftly to a Plan B that includes Johnson once they believe they’re completely out of the chase for James…”

Which has 100% not happened, yet. So here is a national report stating plainly that the Knicks still believe they can attract James. Of course we know they can “turn swiftly” to plan B.
  • clyde fan

    Without LBJ the Knicks should run swiftly away from JJ if he is the top FA we can get.

    He is not going to help us enough to get where we want to go.

  • bmathews77

    Joe Johnson will follow the money….he didn’t care when Atlanta was a bad team a few years ago when he took big money from them to sign there as a free agent. I don’t see why it won’t be any different for him now.

  • Dylan

    How can anyone take anything that these analysts seriously? This is insane! Free agency hasn’t even started yet…

  • Dylan

    Lol the Knicks have only been planning for this for two years… I would like to think that they have a plan and won’t come out empty handed.

  • clyde fan

    If no LBJ do theCollison/Oka4 trade and pursue Rip Hamilton.

  • itzyung1

    A person close to itzyung’s thinking says he is done with all this FA bull$hit.

  • MrDbo

    This whole FA offseason thing is fun, crazy, intriguing…It seems like every hour there is new information. We have been over the cap since…forever, that I don’t remember the rollercoaster that it can be when you are actually a player for the major FAs.

    In regards to Double J and the hawks, I heard it’s sign him or let him walk. I dont think that Atlanta is listening to sign and trades.

    But, what do I know?

  • PatrickChewing33

    There have been three different stories from “sources” that have him going three different destinations………………This is just crazy.

  • JeffM729

    Mark Cuban will try to do sign and trade for a max free agent. He has Dampier with a $13 million non-guaranteed contract and Roddy Beaubois. I think Atlanta might jump at Beaubois with Bibby aging. Of course, it’s up to JJ as to where he wants to sign.

  • mustarda

    now we’re getting our ass kicked by joe johnson. who’s next?

  • clyde fan

    If LBJ really wants to win a championship he should go play for the Lakers for $1.

  • clyde fan

    Last summer same thing from guys like Hill and Kidd who are on the downside of their careers.

    Why is this such a shock? I hoped for LBJ for 2 years. But being a Knbicks fan you know that he isn’t going to come in the end.

  • Knicks4life

    Yahoo usually is one of the best with its “rumors” actually panning out. I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss their reports.

    However, I agree that this is pretty frustrating. There is no way Donnie made the Jordan Hill trade to get Joe Johnson and Amare.

  • Sergio

    Good! Signing Joe Johnson is like signing Allan Houston to the MAX. We’ll be right back to 2002-2003 and winning 38 games.

  • dino of syracuse

    Nobody is really worth the max, but JJ is definitely not worth the max! Dynomite! :p

  • Jeff C

    “one source with knowledge of Johnson’s situation said…”

    This stuff is becoming laughable… I am really surprised at ESPN, let alone yahoo. So far in the last 24 hours there has been the following stories.

    Mavs will Pursue Lebron S&T
    Mavs won’t pursue lebron S&T but instead JJ
    JJ wants to be in NY and will play for discount
    JJ doesn’t want to go to NY and wants to go to mavs to contend
    JJ is probably going to (insert any team)
    Bulls have already signed LeBron and Bosh
    Knicks are offering a max (18 mil) to JJ right away (great negotiation skills)
    JJ will try to recruit LeBron to NY..
    JJ denies any meetings have been set
    Chris Broussard is a crazy man with a grudge

    What’s the point of even writing any more of this stuff… Clearly they have people out there who’s jobs are to make up stories so that “someone with knowledge” can whisper in someone elses ear and make a dumb article that a million people read.

    PS. If we only get johnson and Amare we better work out a trade for a good, REAL PG… without one, we won’t really be complete, but with the two of them and a really good PG, we will compete for the east right away.

  • mustarda

    I’d rather sign a bunch of decent players who don’t claim to be stars than Johnson for the max, or even Amare.

  • ds2488

    This is just out of control. I’ll give the Knicks credit for being involved in the conversation…For the first time in a while the Knicks summer matters past the point of signing Jared Jeffries and Jerome James lol.

    But this is just completely ridiculous. One source says JJ wants to go to the Knicks, the other comes out and says they’re at the bottom of his list.

    As long as websites don’t name and identify their sources(which they shouldn’t really do anyway), it all continues to be complete nonsense to me. Until their names sign on the dotted line, this is all useless, but at the same time I guess it’s an entertaining diversion.

  • grahambo86

    I tend to think signing Joe Johnson would be a good signing for Chicago. I think he fits in better with their current roster and add someone like Boozer could really propel them.

    PG – Rose
    SG – JJ
    SF – Deng
    PF – Boozer
    C – Noah

    That’s not too shabby then add a Mike Miller or a Kyle Korver to add off the bench.

  • grahambo86

    DS..what else are they going to do with their time? lol Reporters are very impatient.

    It’s just hard to believe that after all these years, a guy like James who is so very careful with who to surround himself with and how to go about this free agency would let slip information about where he wants to go before free agency has started.

  • grahambo86

    Jeff..

    lol @ Chris Broussard is a crazy man with a grudge

    Btw, what’s wrong with the Reply to this comment button/link?

  • fredweis

    It would be ironic if NY gets shut out by the big FA’s, gets quality guys through trade exceptions, Gallinari becomes an All-Star and the Knicks make the 2nd round of the playoffs.

  • Jeff C

    The thing about CHI is that they have how many shooters on their roster? zero.

  • TobyKnight

    Not sure if this is a good thing or not…
    I do, however, like P-Diddy pitching business ventures to LBJ.

    Knicks’ owner James Dolan has decided to join the visit with LeBron James that is scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m. in Ohio.

    “I think what people don’t understand is when you get to know him, you see how loyal and committed he is,” Allan Houston said about Dolan. “I think the management team [of the free agents] will see that and that’s going to be huge. A lot of people don’t get to see his extreme commitment.”

    Houston, Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni will be in attendance to speak to James about signing with the Knicks as a free agent.

    Earlier reports detailed that D’Antoni will lead the Knicks’ presentation and set forth his vision for using James in the role Magic Johnson played in Los Angeles.

    An unconfirmed report over the weekend said music mogul Sean Combs will also make the trip to Ohio to discuss off-the-court business ventures should James land in New York.

    Read more: http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/67521/20100628/dolan_to_fly_to_ohio_for_meeting_with_lebron/#ixzz0sAK7oNin

  • PatrickChewing33

    EFF the Bulls!

  • JaymanJD

    I still believe if we get anyone it will b e Joe Johnson but Im starting to waver even on that premise. Heres the problem.

    Besides Bosh no other player for good reason has really stated or has reason to state that they will kind of wait till the whole lebron thing clears up before they make a move. This being said what happens when the knicks plan B signs before Plan A is really figure out. Remember, the Suns and Atlanta and Toronto have insentive to do sign and trades if their FA are not going to sign. If thats the Knicks are dead in because other teams like the MAvs can offer better packages in a sign and trade. We better just hope Lebron and Bosh make up their minds very quickly. Hoepfully at the actual meetings because if they take a week to mull it over it might be too late to go to plan B.

    We also have to take into consideration how lebron and Bosh teaming up in Chicago plays into how other FA decide to sign.

  • giantg

    Amare is out of Phoenix, Amare is done is Phoenix

    WWW says “we are on our way to Chicago”, Steven A Smith says LBJ is going to Miami

    JJ’s first option is NY, NY is far from JJ’s first option.

    At some point you just have to remember anyone who knows anything is not talking and anyone who is talking is just trying to make a living…

  • Qaspec

    It doesn’t really matter if another team can come up with a better sign and trade. The player is in the position of power. The player decides what team he wants to go to. The team losing the player can hope to get the best deal but they cannot force the free agent to any particular city.

  • Qaspec

    The previous comment was in response to JayManJD :

    “…Knicks are dead in because other teams like the MAvs can offer better packages in a sign and trade….”