If keeping Joe Johnson comes down to money, the Hawks have roughly a $27 million advantage that no other team can match.
But with the free agent negotiation period set to open on Thursday, a Sunday ESPN.com report said extra cash may not be enough for Atlanta to keep its four-time All-Star guard. The report said Johnson would be willing to accept less in salary to play for the New York Knicks.
According to the report, Johnson believes he can make up the difference in salary with endorsements and stock shares in Madison Square Garden. According to NBA rules, teams are not allowed to make contract offers worth anything above salary and incentives.
The Knicks will meet with Johnson soon after he becomes an unrestricted free agent at midnight Thursday, the report said. Teams can negotiate with free agents and agree to deals starting on July 1 but can't sign contracts until July 8.
A person familiar with the Hawks' plans said they still hope to re-sign Johnson and are prepared to spend the money necessary to do so. The person said the Hawks fear Johnson might decide to leave for reasons other than money, including the criticism he received from fans and media after a poor showing in the playoffs last month.
The person asked not be identified because the team has stipulated it would not publicly discuss the Johnson negotiations.
But Johnson might have to sacrifice about $27 million to leave Atlanta. Under rules meant to give teams an advantage in re-signing their star players, the Hawks can offer Johnson a maximum free-agent contract of six years and about $119 million compared to five years and roughly $92 million from another team.
The exact amounts for maximum contracts won't be known until the league calculates its finances. It will announce the final figures before July 8.
Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. declined to comment on Johnson's impending free agency.
Hawks general manager Rick Sund also declined comment. Through a spokesman, Sund referred to his earlier statements that the Hawks would do “everything we can” to re-sign Johnson.
If Johnson wants to sign elsewhere, he could get the $119 million maximum through a sign-and-trade agreement between Atlanta and his new team. The advantage to such a deal for the Hawks is they would receive an asset in return, though teams such as New York, that have enough room under the salary cap, don't need a sign-and-trade deal to sign Johnson.
Johnson, who turns 29 on Tuesday, was named third team All-NBA this past season, his first selection for the honor. He's expected to draw strong interest on the market and several teams have already cleared salary-cap space in anticipation of a deep class of free agents.
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