Hawks Send Joe Johnson To Brooklyn, Marvin Williams To Jazz

Nets Enter The East's Power Vacuum

Who is the second-best team in the Eastern Conference? That should tell you why you can't knock the Nets for trading for Joe Johnson's contract.

'Rebuilding' Doesn't Have To Be A Bad Word

Just because Danny Ferry is blowing up the Hawks doesn't mean there won't be anything left to compete. Atlanta doesn't need to be awful as it becomes "unstuck" from a run of being good. The Hook explains.

Atlanta Hawks Trade Marvin Williams To Utah Jazz For Devin Harris, According To Report

Fresh off dealing Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks have made another big trade, acquiring point guard Devin Harris from the Utah Jazz in exchange for small forward Marvin Williams, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

The move will save the Hawks an additional $7.5 million in 2013-14 and provide them with a starting-quality point guard for one season. Harris struggled early on last year, but came on late in helping to lead the Jazz to the playoffs. It remains to be seen how the Hawks use Harris and incumbent point guard Jeff Teague, who is a rising young player that seemed on the cusp of emerging late last season.

Atlanta has also ultimately decided that trading Williams for Harris is preferable to simply using the one-time amnesty clause to remove Williams' salary off the Hawks' payroll, either this summer or next. It's possible Hawks ownership told Ferry they would not be paying a player to not play.

The Jazz, meanwhile, exchange Harris for a player who they can immediately slot into their vacant starting small forward position. The Jazz also recently acquired Mo Williams from the Los Angeles Clippers, so it was likely that Harris' minutes were going to fall anyway.

For more on the Hawks, visit Peachtree Hoops and SB Nation Atlanta. For more on the Jazz, visit SLC Dunk.

Joe Johnson Trade To Nets Allows Hawks To Completely Start Over

The Atlanta Hawks' decision to trade Joe Johnson for several expiring contracts allows them to hit the reset button on an era in their franchise's history where they were always good, but never good enough to be a serious threat in the Eastern Conference. In 2010, when they gave Johnson a six-year, $127-million contract, it seemed like the Hawks were content with staying in that bubble. New general manager Danny Ferry, though, made a strong statement in this trade, and now, it looks like the Hawks will be rebuilding.

By removing Johnson's remaining four years and $89 million from their payroll, the Hawks have immediately gone from being in danger of going over the luxury tax to being flushed with future cap space. Atlanta now has just three players -- Al Horford at $12 million, Marvin Williams at $7.5 million and 2012 first-round pick John Jenkins on a rookie salary -- under contract in 2013. Ironically, the Hawks could theoretically now do what the Nets cannot: bid on Dwight Howard when he becomes a free agent. Howard is from Atlanta, after all. I'm just saying...

But before anything like that can happen, the Hawks face a critical decision with two key members of their team. One is Josh Smith, who has one year left on his contract and has reportedly requested a trade many times. While Smith could potentially be a part of the Hawks' future, he also questioned the Hawks' commitment to winning even before Johnson was dealt. A trade later this summer therefore wouldn't be very surprising.

The other is point guard Jeff Teague, who is up for a contract extension this summer that would kick in starting in 2013-14. If the Hawks cannot agree to a new deal with Teague this summer, they'll get another chance when he becomes a restricted free agent in the summer of 2013. Teague more than held his own in his first full year as the starting point guard and seems poised for a breakout, so the Hawks may need to earmark a section of their cap space for Teague's extension.

In any event, the Hawks have made a clear statement that they are rebuilding. It remains to be seen what Danny Ferry does next.

Atlanta Hawks news and info can be found at Peachtree Hoops, and all your NBA free agency coverage is available at SB Nation's NBA page.

Joe Johnson Trade Is Not Dependent On Deron Williams' Free-Agent Decision, According To Report

The Brooklyn Nets' blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Joe Johnson will go through no matter what free-agent guard Deron Williams decides in free agency, according to multiple reports. While the deal was certainly done in an attempt to ensure Williams would re-sign with the Nets, it will not be called off if Williams surprises everyone and signs with the Dallas Mavericks.

League source tells Y! that Joe Johnson deal now likely "happens with or without Deron." Nets officials are meeting with Williams right now.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 2, 2012

Williams met with the Mavericks earlier on Monday, and he met with the Nets at 5 p.m. The Nets are "increasingly confident" that Williams will accept their five-year, $100 million offer to stay, according to Wojnarowski.

Johnson was acquired from the Hawks for Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, Jordan Williams, DeShawn Stevenson and a 2013 first-round pick originally owned by the Rockets. The Nets had to sign-and-trade Stevenson to make the deal happen; his new contract is for three years and $6.9 million, with only the first year guaranteed, according to ESPN's Chad Ford.

For more on the Brooklyn Nets, check out Nets Daily. Atlanta Hawks news and info can be found at Peachtree Hoops, and all your NBA free agency coverage is available at SB Nation's NBA page.

Joe Johnson Trade Likely Knocks Nets Out Of Dwight Howard Sweepstakes, According To Report

The Brooklyn Nets' blockbuster trade for Atlanta Hawks star Joe Johnson likely means that they have bowed out of the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, even though the Orlando Magic star has the Nets as the only team on his wish list. The Nets likely won't have the salary-cap space to take on Howard in the future, and it appears they have decided to move on after Howard decided to stay with the Magic for one more year back in March.

Source on Nets moving on from possibility of getting Dwight: "Dwight blew it in March'' when he waived opt-out clause.

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 2, 2012

Howard may want to go to the Nets, but by waiving the opt-out clause, he surrendered a lot of his leverage. Indeed, according to NBA.com's David Aldridge, new Magic general manager Rob Hennigan was not interested by any Nets offer potentially on the table.

Instead of Howard, the Nets will push forward with a team that likely includes Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Deron Williams (hopefully for their sake) and Brook Lopez (likely).

For more on the Brooklyn Nets, check out Nets Daily. Atlanta Hawks news and info can be found at Peachtree Hoops, and all your NBA free agency coverage is available at SB Nation's NBA page.

Joe Johnson Trade To Brooklyn Nets Completed, According To Report

The Hawks and Nets have agreed on a five-player trade that will send Joe Johnson to Brooklyn, according to a report.

An Answer To The Question 'How Bad Is Joe Johnson's Contract?'

Nets Reportedly Discussing Joe Johnson Trade

The Brooklyn Nets' aspirations of pairing Deron Williams and Dwight Howard might be petering out, according to one report. Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Nets could be in the process of making a trade with the Atlanta Hawks for swingman Joe Johnson that would give Brooklyn a top-line backcourt and allow the Hawks to dump Johnson's remaining $90 million contract.

There are a number of factors at play. Most notably, Orlando's will have to decide whether or not they'll trade Howard -- who has one year remaining on his contract -- as well as Williams, who has yet to decide on his future with either the Nets or his hometown Dallas Mavericks:

It's doubtful Nets GM Billy King would make a deal for Johnson without the blessing of Williams and an assurance from Williams that he would re-sign with the Nets

King and new Atlanta GM Danny Ferry – former Duke teammates and close friends – have discussed the possibility of a Johnson trade that would mostly constitute a salary dump for the Hawks.

While Brooklyn's future is almost completely in flux and suffering no shortage of differing opinions as to the direction of the relocated franchise, there's a consensus among Atlanta fans that shedding Johnson would create a bright new future:

If Joe Johnson were to be traded it would be nearly universally celebrated by fans. Not good when bad contracts happen to good people.

— Peachtree Hoops (@peachtreehoops) July 1, 2012

For more on the Brooklyn Nets, check out Nets Daily. Atlanta Hawks news and info can be found at Peachtree Hoops, and all your NBA free agency coverage is available at SB Nation's NBA page.