Johnson tested free agency taking meetings with the New York Knicks and has scheduled trips to Miami and Houston but the lucritive deal was enough to keep him in town. Johnson was regarded as the strongest back-up plans for the numerous teams courting LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.
The four-time all star has been with the Hawks for the last five seasons and has taken the team to the playoffs the last two years. Johnson was one of the biggest pieces to the resurgance of the Hawks franchise since he was dealt in a sign and trade from Phoenix in 2005.
Many Hawks fans thought he was gone for good after he turned down a three-year $60 million dollar extension last season but the thought of losing the 28 year-old shooting guard was enough for the Hawks to open their check books to secure his services.
Joe has averaged 21.3 ppg and 4.9 assists per game for his career. He was the 10th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. He only played a total of 48 games for Boston before he was dealt mid way through his rookie season.
The signing may begin a domino affect in the free agency market as top prospects LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have yet to make commitments.
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