AnnArborHawk

By this time next year, most NBA fans and even the casual Hawks fans will have forgotten Josh Childress ever existed.

Then 10 years down the road someone will mention his name and get the "wow, did you just go Josh Childress" reaction.

Not sure that one's worth anything. This guy just went to every NBA team's blacklist. You'd have better luck getting back on an NBA roster if you committed a felony than if you were the first American player to leave behind an NBA contract to play in Europe.

I have a hard time seeing how this team is any better than the Cavs, considering that if VC is still around he'll be on the downside of his career.

I would be very happy if we could pick up Brown and Rush to add to our bench. If we can do that and manage to keep the Joshes, I think we can legitimately set the 5th seed as our goal.

Maybe the whole Greece ploy will help the Hawks get better SnT offers for him...

I'd do it, but I doubt Denver does. They wouldn't trade one expiring contract for a lesser one plus an underachieving RFA they'd have to pony up for or risk losing next year.

It's a good question, and I'm no cap expert, but I think it changes the game entirely. Right now we're at 51.7M (counting QO to the Joshes)...taking his off the books brings us down to around $47M (still counting Josh Smith's QO) - which is a little more than $11M under the cap.

I could be wrong (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I am), but I think we can spend that $11M (since we already have accounted for Smith's QO) up to the cap, so long as we do it before we (if we) resign J. Smith.

We could, theoretically, spend that $11M, then resign Smith, then spend our MLE and fill out the roster with minimum players.

Again, not an expert...just going off what I've read and what's on http://hoopshype.com/salaries/atlanta.htm.

Yeah, and they should have to throw in Sheed and Rip for Bibby and Solo too.

If Childress becomes the first American player with any significant ability to walk away from an NBA team for a FIBA contract, there will be a lot of undesired consequences. We all recognize it will make the Hawks look like idiots, but I think he also runs the risk of being unofficially blacklisted by the NBA.

Think about it...if he becomes the first talented American player to leave the NBA for a Euroleague contract, any NBA team that signs him to an offer sheet would be, in essence, condoning this option. If anything, they want to discourage it. I think league execs could blacklist him just to make an example out of him to discourage other players from doing the same.

Calling this a 'fiasco' is a little much. As coachx mentioned, none of the top RFAs have signed, and there's a reason for that. There is a process to this.

With no teams left (except cheap old Memphis) with cap space, the Joshes have lost some of their leverage. So now they're out trying other means to give themselves leverage in negotiations with the Hawks...saying they want a SnT, visiting European teams, etc.

In most years, other NBA teams with cap space can be used for leverage. This year, that's not the case, so the Joshes are doing what they should be doing...finding whatever leverage they can. Hopefully the ASG is doing what they should be doing and continuing to negotiate. Just as bad as refusing to budge on a lowball offer would be signing whatever number the agent throws at you and financially handicapping the team.

It's a process, and it's one that all teams with RFAs are going through.

That team in my opinion would be very competitive.

I don't think you'll get enough floor spacing playing Smoove/Horf/Zaza together too often, unless of course Josh Smith improves shooting. I think you need another shooter.

Trace, I think you're dead on there. Has to be Salim and Zaza. JJ said he wants Woody back. Marvin, Horford, and Chillz don't seem the type. Solo, J-Rich, and Mario wouldn't say anything because they don't have any pull and if they play "me or Woodson" they get canned. That really only leaves Law (possibility - but doesn't seem the type), Zaza (definitely is one), Salim (most likely), and Bibby (possibly). You could throw Speedy in there, but Speedy might be surprised after 2 years (of sitting on the couch eating Cheeto's and watching old episodes of Who's Line is it Anyway with Wayne Brady) to find out that Woodson's still the coach. I wonder if anyone's told him?

These are the questions everyone should be asking about Smith right now. Maybe if enough people around the league balk at him over these issues, he'll finally grow up.

If you've been in the league 4 years and are still considered "raw" it's either because you're athletic but have no basketball skills or have both but are not very smart.

Everyone talks about how great Josh is going to be, but his head might get in the way.

The UF game definitely. They could potentially lose to ASU and still end up in the title game because it's so early on in the season. It's harder to rebound from a loss late in the season, which has me thinking that (if we make it undefeated long enough) that the Auburn game could be the real do or die. LSU night game at LSU could spell trouble too.

That really depends. I had one friend who was a drugged up mess on the couch for a few days afterwards, and it was about a week til he seemed totally back to normal.

I, on the other hand, was a little sore (and took some getting use to the stitches) but was going about my normal activities the next day with no swelling at all.

Realistically, you can probably expect something in the middle.

It doesn't seem like they're in a rush. They've waited a good week to decide who they'll offer a contract to, what's another week to wait for the other team to match.

I would definitely take him, but don't think we could afford him (assuming we sign both Joshes) nor would he want to come here. He's carving his career out of the Horry mold...solid MLE role player that goes to whatever team he thinks will win it.

I'd love to hear their pitch. "Come play in the Staples Center and imagine what it might be like to be a Laker!"

I wouldn't go that far, but yes, we need to add a veteran big and shooter.

link

Going over the luxury tax limit by $1 could cost you $3M.

I don't think it's likely that he only takes the one year deal, but in the event that he leans that way, I think we have to SnT to get something in return.

Josh's cap hold is about $6.5 mil (which would be the one year offer he'd sign to become a UFA next year). If $11M for 5 years is on the table from the Hawks, he'd be giving up close to $5M this year hoping to make that back over the next 4. So if he does sign the qualifying offer, he's probably hoping for $13M+ per year.

I would be very happy with K. Brown and J. Hayes to fill out the roster (and it doesn't hurt that they're both Georgia guys).

I also wouldn't mind the Hawks getting a hold of Roger Mason.

Charlotte paper seems to think Clippers may be interested in Okafor as well link

The SI article said Smoove doesn't have the self-discipline to be a max player in a market like Philly. If nobody ponies up the big contract for Smith, maybe he'll play with a chip on his shoulder after some of these comments.