LAS VEGAS -- Joe Johnson's camp was informed Saturday that the Phoenix S
uns intend to match Atlanta's expected five-year, $70 million offer to t
he restricted free agent, according to NBA front-office sources.

Word began spreading Friday at the Vegas Summer League that the Hawks ha
ve given Johnson a firm commitment that they'll sign him to a maximum of
fer sheet on July 22, which the league office has scheduled to be the fi
rst day free agents can sign contracts.

The Hawks' offer, sources said, is likely to be front-loaded with a paym
ent as high as $20 million in the first year of the deal. Rules on such
payments and other specifics of the deal are also on hold until July 22,
when the league announces the salary-cap number for next season.

The rules on contract lengths, however, have already been finalized, and
the Hawks are prevented from signing Johnson to a contract longer than
five years. A maximum offer from the Suns would span six years at an est
imated $90 million, matching the terms Michael Redd received from Milwau
kee earlier this week, but sources say Phoenix has offered Johnson close
r to $60 million over six seasons.

The Suns have maintained all season that they will match any offer Johns
on gets, rating the versatile swingman as no less critical to the team's
success than its three All-Stars: Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash and Shaw
n Marion. Matching a five-year offer, though, is undoubtedly more palata
ble than paying Johnson in the Redd range for six.

Various league executives have privately questioned whether the Suns wou
ld indeed match a max offer sheet to Johnson, given owner Robert Sarver'
s stated aversion to letting his annual payroll stray far beyond $50 mil
lion. With Johnson earning an average annual wage of $12 million and Sto
udemire soon to receive a maximum contract extension that would kick in
starting with the 2006-07 season, Phoenix would be in the rare position
of carrying four players who earn roughly $50 million by themselves.

Arn Tellem, Johnson's agent, met with Phoenix president Bryan Colangelo
and team chairman Jerry Colangelo during the Suns' summer-league game he
re Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers. All parties declined to co
mment.

The Hawks, sources said, are still expected to go ahead with signing Joh
nson to an offer sheet, hoping that the value of the contract, potential
incentive clauses and the up-front payment will prompt Phoenix to chang
e its mind.

The Hawks will also take encouragement from the new collective bargainin
g agreement, which lessens the risk of signing restricted free agents. S
tarting this off-season, teams will be given only seven days to match an
offer to a restricted free agent, compared to the previous window of 15
days. Teams have been hesitant in the past to sign restricted free agen
ts to offer sheets and then have their free-agent funds potentially tied
up for 15 days.

After a breakthrough 62-win season, followed by a trip to the Western Co
nference finals, Phoenix went into the offseason hoping to re-sign Johns
on, sign Stoudemire to the extension and add toughness. The Suns address
ed the latter aim by trading swingman Quentin Richardson to the New York
Knicks for power forward Kurt Thomas and then reaching a verbal agreeme
nt on the first day of the free-agent season with Utah Jazz guard Raja B
ell.

The Suns are forbidden from publicly discussing the Bell deal until he o
fficially signs July 22, but team sources have said repeatedly that Bell
was targeted to back up Johnson -- not as an insurance policy in case J
ohnson is let go.

Sofa too。