Hawks May Agree To Deal With Johnson As Free Agency Starts

Mark Cuban is in LA, but he may not have a key player to recruit. Jeff Caplan discusses Joe Johnson’s situation:

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the six-year deal would be worth in the neighborhood of $119 million, about $27 more than any other team can offer.

If Johnson stays in Atlanta, Dallas may be on to its third tier of options before free agency really commences.

Hawks Looking To Keep Joe Johnson

Adrian Wojnarowski has bad news for Mark Cuban:

AJC report that Hawks preparing 6-year Bird Rights deal is devastating news to potential Joe Johnson suitors. He wants to stay in Atlanta.

Cuban Headed For Face-To-Face At 12:01 Thursday

A DallasNews.com source says that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban intends to meet with Joe Johnson personally the moment that fee agency opens Thursday morning.

The Mavericks are hoping to pull off a sign and trade for at least one marquee free agent to pair with Nowitzki. It is believed Cuban has positioned the Mavericks on the short list of teams that will get a chance to make sales pitches to LeBron James . There also have been reports that Dwyane Wade will meet with the Mavericks - if the Heat are unable to recruit James and/or Chris Bosh to Miami.

Sefko Thinks That Joe Johnson To Dallas Makes Sense

DallasNews.com’s Eddie Sefko sees some logic behind the Joe Johnson connection to the Dallas Mavericks:

Because Johnson wants to go for the maximum dollars he can earn. At 28, he’s young enough to be productive for several more seasons. But he’s old enough to know this is probably his last chance to hit the lottery. Again, by the way. He’s just finishing a $70-million deal he signed in 2005.

Unlike James and Wade, Johnson wants that guaranteed sixth season that he can only get by re-signing with his current team, then moving with a trade that would bring something equitable back to the Atlanta Hawks.

Report: Joe Johnson Near Top Of Mavericks' Wish-List

From Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski comes this report that, although sought-after guard Joe Johnson will indeed visit with Knicks officials when free-agency begins, he is "far less likely to sign with a team under the cap and cost himself millions than having his agent Arn Tellem aggressively pursue a sign-and-trade." And the Mavs are a team that''s interested, according to Wojnarowski's sources:

The Mavericks are unlikely to engage the Cleveland Cavaliers into a sign-and-trade for LeBron James, 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.

Johnson, who turns 29 tomorrow, is among the league's most productive and versatile wing players, averaging at least 20.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in each of the last five seasons, all with Atlanta. Wojnarowski believes the Arkansas-raised Johnson's "comfort level with the Southwest" may further entice him to play for Dallas.