Joe Johnson denies something that nobody says

Ummm....No problem, Joe. We know. We believe you.

According to a report on ESPN New York on October 4th and highlighted by ProBasketBallTalk's Matt Moore, Joe Johnson wants the world to know he didn't bury the Atlanta Hawks in a trade demand.

Joe Johnson wanted to set the record straight on Thursday, telling reporters that he never asked out of Atlanta.

"Everybody thinks I made this trade," the Nets' shooting guard said. "I had nothing to do with it.

I don't know who Joe is talking to, but NOBODY who reads Peachtree Hoops, goes to the games in Atlanta or has any knowledge of the team thinks that Joe pushed his way out of Atlanta.

Some notes:

Joe Johnson scored TWO max contracts from the Hawks -- clearly they showed him the love Josh Smith can only pine for.

Joe Johnson, after receiving his deal(s), went about being the same, solid, workmanlike player he has always been.

Joe Johnson was due another 80M or so going into this season over the next four seasons, despite his production and overall efficiency beginning to slide.

Oh, believe me Joe, it's not you, it's us.

Fans, despite having a healthy appreciation for ALL that Joe Johnson did as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, were quite celebratory after the July trade that sent Joe and his six All-Star appearances resume to Brooklyn.

Fans believed from the day Joe signed his infamous 6 year, 123 million dollar deal with the Hawks that Atlanta would never be able to get out from under the back end of the deal, where Joe would make like Jerry Stackhouse or Michael Finley and simply go upside-down in production to dollars (if it wasn't statistically there from the day he signed).

So when Danny Ferry swooped in and made that deal, liberating the Hawks cap space in the coming years, something that they previously held as untradeable -- well, again Joe Johnson, we knew you weren't behind it.

Divine intervention, maybe, but certainly not forced by you.

Hope that helps clear the air. Good luck in Brooklyn!