After thinking for about four minutes on this Joe Johnson to the New York Knicks in a "wink, wink deal" because his agent has known Donnie Walsh for 20 years, I have decided it is a bit ridiculous. Not because Joe would never go to the Knicks, but for the reason given. Does Joe Johnson care about who his agent knows? Does he care about who he is friends with? Is that why he has an agent? No, Joe has an agent to get the most money at the place he most wants to be.
Even if we want to say Joe Johnson desires to do whatever will help his agent's personal life, it does not match up with what happened this summer. Joe and his advisers came to the Hawks to discuss the future. This is according to Rick Sund, and Sund personally told me they offered Joe an extension, but in doing so, informed Joe (or at least admitted to Joe) that an extension does not offer the same contract structuring that being an unrestricted free agent does. Sund literally told me, "it was in Joe's best interest not to sign anything last summer." And the Hawks told him so.
I have no idea if Joe Johnson wanted to or was planning on signing when he reached out about an extension, and I have no clue if Joe's opinion of the Hawks and where he wants to go has changed over the course of this season. Moreover, I don't know if the Hawks organization has changed their opinion on Joe (although Sund said this season will not alter his value of Joe) as far as his place in the Hawks' plan going forward.
Yet, the history so far does not match the story coming out now. Was Joe's agent taking a break from Walsh last summer? Why did Joe not sign with Indiana a few years back? I get that the extra cap space in New York now may now be inciting or Joe just feels he is not willing to give up shots to Josh Smith or any number of things, but it is a bit ridiculous to say things have changed so dramatically because an agent goes to the beach with the Knicks GM.
Then again, I am not quoting any anonymous Eastern Conference GMs either.