Speculation... of Artest to Atlanta.

[Diesel]

From Cold Pizza...

Artest to Atlanta for Josh Smith/Delk.

Lue/JJ/Artest/Al/Zaza...

[Nicholasp27]

ugh

can't trade our pf of the future and not get one back...and not get a pg either!

we'd need a pg, pf, backup big

not trading our ONLY pf for another sf

[KB21]

It won't happen.

BK isn't trading the pieces that he believes will have a long term future in Atlanta for a player that is completely unstable and would have no future in Atlanta beyond this year.

This is the typical spin that Diesel puts on things though. Sometimes I wonder if this guy is schizophrenic, because he certainly takes a lot of breaks from reality.

[vdunkndunk]

This deal doesn't include trading away a power forward in my opinion...it includes trading away a potentially good small forward for a currently great small forward (except that the currently great small forward may go crazy at any moment).

Personally I like this deal even better than the rumors of Artest for Harrington straight up. JJ plus Harrington isn't enough to compete (obviously), but add in Artest (a top 10 player in the league in terms of pure basketball talent), and now we could start winning some games.

[Diesel]

Please KB... You're the one that's detached from reality.

Like I have said previously... I don't want Artest here... Period.

This is what the "basketball expert" from Cold Pizza was speculating..

I guess you go from your losing prediction of Marvin to trying to attack me who said Marvin wasn't the right guy for the Hawks.

Yeah, let's see how many people you can get to take that Koolaid that you're drinking... and your worthless attacks on me won't change that fact...

[jezmund]

They actually said this as something being talked about? Josh Smith is really our most marketable player BUT he is far from our best player. You just hate to trade what Josh Smith could be in 3 years. Would you rather trade Harrington? Hard question. No, Josh Smith is not the greatest defensive player but he is our only shotblocker. I definitely like Childress' attitude/IQ better but Josh Smith certainly has more value in trade I'd imagine. Maybe Smith won't be any more than he is now? A dunker/shotblocker that just wants the highlights. Hmmm... You can't deny that Ron Artest is an NBA All-Star. Talent-wise, he and JJ would form one of the best wing-duos in the league. I do agree that he could be a time-bomb waiting to explode. I'll let Knight make that decision.

[BornandDieHawks]

I agree 100% (not about Diesel) BK won't give up what he is attempting to build for someone who we all know would not want to play here. I do have a concern that BK might make a knee jerk move because of all the pressure on him right now.

[gsuteke]

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Please KB... You're the one that's detached from reality.

Like I have said previously... I don't want Artest here... Period.

This is what the "basketball expert" from Cold Pizza was speculating..

I guess you go from your losing prediction of Marvin to trying to attack me who said Marvin wasn't the right guy for the Hawks.

Yeah, let's see how many people you can get to take that Koolaid that you're drinking... and your worthless attacks on me won't change that fact...

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you are totally obsessed with Marvin. do you wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares about Marvin pooping in your coco puffs?

[xman]

I agree - that I do not want Artest here either.

But, I do want Frye and possible NateR from the Knicks - and Artest should be enough to pry those guys loose from Isiah.

There is a lot of salary/player scenarios that work in a 3 way deal where NY gets Artest (and you know Brown is pushing for Artest to jumpstart his team defense) and a few where NY also gets AlHarrington.

Just one scenario from the other post in the trade forum:

ny gives : Crawford(6.48), Frye(2.1), NateR(1.1), MRose(6)

ny gets : Artest, AHarrington, AJohnson

Ind gives: Artest (6.5), AJohnson (2.4)

Ind gets : Crawford, JChill

Atl gives: Al Harrington (6.87), JChill (2.67)

Atl gets : Frye, NateR, MRose (note that we could take any knick making more than Rose instead of Rose and give NY another player or a trade exception - so maybe we take ADavis and cash instead - this could also be an incentive for NY to throw in a draft pick)

[KB21]

The only pressure on BK at the moment is from a portion of the fan base and the media, and to be quite honest, he could care less what they think.

The owners are completely behind BK, and that's the only thing that matters.

[Packfill]

I am with the no Artest in Atlanta camp. Obviosuly acquiring him would make sense from a basketball perspective since he is so talented. But, considering everything else and how he has poisoned two franchises already, I would not want him in the Hawks locker room messing with the heads of the Hawks youngster. If there was a Reggie Miller type veteran presence that could control him then maybe, but the Hawks definitely do not have that.

[gsuteke]

it is agreed that Artest doesn't fit the long term plan of this team.

the good news is the Hawks could take on an expiring big contract in the deal though to get another kid.

frye would look great in red, however i truly believe BK sits on his hands and sees how this thing plays out. i still think we build this thing through 1 draft pick and a FA signing.

[macdaddy]

BK didn't even blink when Spree said he wanted to sign here. I can't see him taking on a bigger head case. Just like Spree, I think Artest will end up in NY.

I think Smoove is starting to show that he is one of our most important players. He's not the best player, but he can change the game by providing great help on D and potentially being a rebounding machine. I realize his defense is not great sometimes but he's learning and he changes the game when he's in there.

Al/Smoove/ZaZa can be trouble for a lot of teams once they grow together and figure out what they are doing.

[drzachary]

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From Cold Pizza...

Artest to Atlanta for Josh Smith/Delk.

Lue/JJ/Artest/Al/Zaza...

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Why wouldn't BK do this? He's certainly willing to take a gamble (probably to save his job at this point, if nothing else.)

If he didn't want a gamble, he wouldn't have the draft history that he does. (Oh lordy, time for this thread to devolve..)

[wartownrep]

Im all for bringing in Artest. we would be fools to turn down a guy who can shut the other team's star wing down and score 30 points on any night. we are 3-16 people. we have no room to be picky about players. we need talent bottom line. he maybe a head case but he's a winner(Dennis Rodman) and other free agents want to play with winners, not a bunch of tweeners who may not even reach their potential. He and Joe would form a tandom that would be feared around the league maybe(Al). People hate to play Artest. They mark the day on their calanders and dread the night that lurks them to face Ron Artest. And he's only making 6 or so million dollars. If I were BK i'll do it in a heart beat. I don't know about trading Josh unless we can sign AL longterm or trade him for a legit pf pg at the end of the season.

[Dragitoff]

I couldn't agree more. If the team had done more to this point other than win 3 games and be close in quite a few others, I'd agree. We all comment relentlessly about the lack of defense this team possesses. Josh Smith blocks shots.......that's great, but Artest doesn't even let his man get the shots off. He's a defensive star, an All-Star, and a superstar offensive player, and is relatively affordable to boot. The Hawks could build around a core of JJ, Artest, and Al (if he re-signs). The Hawks could turn this season around w/ that trade. This would certainly help clear the SF/SG logjam somewhat as well.

[gsuteke]

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Im all for bringing in Artest. we would be fools to turn down a guy who can shut the other team's star wing down and score 30 points on any night. we are 3-16 people. we have no room to be picky about players. we need talent bottom line. he maybe a head case but he's a winner(Dennis Rodman) and other free agents want to play with winners, not a bunch of tweeners who may not even reach their potential. He and Joe would form a tandom that would be feared around the league maybe(Al). People hate to play Artest. They mark the day on their calanders and dread the night that lurks them to face Ron Artest. And he's only making 6 or so million dollars. If I were BK i'll do it in a heart beat. I don't know about trading Josh unless we can sign AL longterm or trade him for a legit pf pg at the end of the season.

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no, No, NO, NOO, NOOO!!!!

we cannot abandon the plan now. and hopefully the plan is keep the current group intact and find a center and PG.

moving around pieces like you are suggesting is what keeps a team in the 'rebuilding' phase for 6 or 7 years. we're a year away from being a decent team, 2 away from being a contender. blowing it up now would be silly.

[parvezf]

I agree that getting Artest has no place in our long term plans. But, what if...we got Artest, and Indiana got Harrington back (to return triumphantly as their starting small forward), and Indiana threw in their #1 for this year. Of course it doesn't make sense that Harrington would be worth Artest and a #1, but there is otherwise little chance of Indiana getting a starting caliber SF back for Artest in the middle of the season. And, if our goal was to get at least a #1 for Harrington, then we get that now and then spin Artest off for more at the trading deadline or in the summer when a team can use him for a playoff push and he has hopefully further rehabilitated his rep and pushed his value up further. It would be a rental, and of a volatile player at that, but would it be a good stock transaction? Just a thought.

[gsuteke]

we need to trade Al for a PG or Center.

i think AL is OK on this team but in the long run you need to open up the spots for Smoove and Marvin to play if they are going to be your longterm answers at those 2 spots.

[wartownrep]

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Im all for bringing in Artest. we would be fools to turn down a guy who can shut the other team's star wing down and score 30 points on any night. we are 3-16 people. we have no room to be picky about players. we need talent bottom line. he maybe a head case but he's a winner(Dennis Rodman) and other free agents want to play with winners, not a bunch of tweeners who may not even reach their potential. He and Joe would form a tandom that would be feared around the league maybe(Al). People hate to play Artest. They mark the day on their calanders and dread the night that lurks them to face Ron Artest. And he's only making 6 or so million dollars. If I were BK i'll do it in a heart beat. I don't know about trading Josh unless we can sign AL longterm or trade him for a legit pf pg at the end of the season.

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no, No, NO, NOO, NOOO!!!!

we cannot abandon the plan now. and hopefully the plan is keep the current group intact and find a center and PG.

moving around pieces like you are suggesting is what keeps a team in the 'rebuilding' phase for 6 or 7 years. we're a year away from being a decent team, 2 away from being a contender. blowing it up now would be silly.

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We're not abandoning the plan. BK plan is to stockpile talent and make trades to add talant. that's why he drafted MW even though we have 8 more 3/4s because he was the best player available and we can make trades later to filll needs. Artest fits BK mold in that he can play more than 1 positions 2/3 and he plays good defence.