Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

7/4/2010 at 5:49pm

Take Little Rock's Joe Johnson out of the NBA free agent pool. He's staying with the Atlanta Hawks for a maximum six year offer.

The former Razorback and Little Rock Central star decided to stick with the Hawks after flirting with strong offers from the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, two teams that have championship aspirations after clearing most of their salary cap to recruit top free agents.

They wanted Johnson, but Johnson wanted Atlanta (and the money) more. Now, Johnson appears to be interested in luring other free agents t Atlanta.

Johnson's agent, Arn Tellem, broke the story via a blog post on HuffingtonPost.com.

Tellem writes:

With all his success, Joe remains as grounded as he was a decade ago at our first meeting in Little Rock. His priorities are his family, his friends and his game. Joe could have forced a sign-and-trade deal for five years with another team, but he decided that winning in Atlanta would be more meaningful. When the Hawks offered the maximum -- six years -- he happily reciprocated.

For his next act, Joe plans to actively recruit other top free agents to Atlanta, a place not unlike his hometown, where he feels comfortable and appreciated.

LeBron, you've already met with the front offices of six teams. How about considering the Hawks?

The Hawks offered Johnson a maximum contract, worth more than $119 million over six years. It's a sweet deal for a player many thought lost value after a poor playoff performance this previous season.

When free agency rolled around Johnson was frequently mentioned as the ideal complimentary player for a LeBron James or Dwyane Wade, other free agents expected to shake up the NBA landscape.

Johnson has no plans to be the sidekick, however. Johnson's returning to Atlanta where he is the marquee name and the marquee player. This time, it's for marquee money.