If this report is true, Joe Johnson will have a chance to sign a six-year, $119 million debt with the Hawks. That’s one extra year and twenty-seven million extra dollars to stay where he is. He won’t have to move lockers, let alone homes. $24.1 million will be his age-34 salary, which even Elin Nordegren thinks is an excessive amount of cash.

This should come as a blow to any other teams trying to sign Johnson, especially the Knicks, who wanted Johnson to sign for $11 million per year. The New York sales pitch is that players can make up the salary difference with endorsements, but is Joe Johnson really going to make $5 million a year in endorsements? Let alone, an EXTRA $25 million in endorsements? No way. If this were election night coverage, CNN would be calling the state of Joe Johnson for Atlanta.  

Aaaaand, go ahead and cross the New York Knicks off of LeBron’s list.

Isiah says, “I think it’s the hardest place to win.” That is certainly true if your coach or GM is Isiah Thomas; maybe not so much as a general statement about New York City.