There may be a different deal on the horizon?

[Diesel]

Al said, "After the second half of the season, I thought we were going to get me re-signed".

Al really likes our young nucleus.

There's no real reason for BK to hold up the deal with either team unless there's nothing being offered that BK wants.

With that in mind, BK may be fishing for other deals than have not been discussed.

Maybe BK is shopping Smoove or Chillz and planning to resign Al?

I mean if the objective was to resign Al, wouldn't BK shop Smoove first to create the space needed for Al to play PF?

I can't imagine BK not being able to find a deal for Lue/Smoove or Lue/Chillz that can get BK what he's looking for in terms of a young big?

So what if the deal is for Dalembert?

Say Lue/Chillz for Dalembert and then we resign Al to a 4 year deal?

[swolehawk2]

Al will not be here...smiling as I type.

[Diesel]

That's a good assumption... however, what's holding up a deal?

We learned nothing new today than we knew for 2 weeks.

AL says BK is the holdup!

Doesn't that make you think that BK might not be happy with what's being offered?

For one moment, you don't think BK would sign Al and let him play and move him when he can get a better deal??

Seriously, if I had to choose between Al and Troy Murphy, I'm taking Al.

[jerrywest]

We are better off letting him walk than to sign him for a long term contract because that will make him untradable. Thats not even counting how much it'll slow down the kids' developments.

He won't take a short term contract because he can start at 7.5 mil with the Pacers.

There is not even a 0.01% chance of Al staying here unless Marvin breaks his leg in the last summer league game.

[TheDude]

exactly...why would Al Harrington be talking about where he could possibly be going and not be the one traded.

[DJlaysitup]

My gut instinct is that either something happens within the next week or so or the whole thing blows up in the media with the standard finger pointing and laying of blame.

I think the odds are better that the snt gets done soon though and everything works out.

[swolehawk2]

I think he has something he likes but is trying to get just a little more.

[DeacKillsaDevil]

The hold up might be that BK wants a 1st round pick.

[DrReality]

I think I agree with that. You can say a lot of things about BK but you have to say he is one shrewed dude. We complain a lot about how he plays his cards very close to his chest. Well this is one time that is exactly what you want a gm to do.

[DJlaysitup]

Not to be a pain - but it's my pet peave:

You hold your cards close to the vest...it's an old riverboat gambler metaphor.

[DrReality]

Someone referred to all the chatter on the Bucks blog on Realgm a couple days ago. Multiple post about them wanting Childress. They were salivating over him and talking like that was the missing piece to their team.

Maybe I could see BK trading him before J Smith. He is the face of the new Atl Hawks.

[er9dverk]

i dont think al helped things when he told the press that atl was not looking to re-sign him.

it looks to me like bk is pretty good at keeping things to himself. trouble is, he is pretty straight up with guys like tellem and al, and they are not nearly as discrete.

[Weez]

it's not like this is was a hard one ot figure out, though I disagree with Diesel in that we DID learn something new today: Al knows that he's gone; he justified the rumours of the two most likely suitors; we learned what's holding up the deal (from Al's perspective).

I apologize to not giving credit to previous posters, but, in using some words already mentioned, it's most likely that Billy is trying to play both sides against the middle, perhaps waiting for a 3rd suitor to throw their hat in the ring...and I hope, HOPE, that he's trying to get a first round pick next year (non-restricted or iwth little protection, depending on the team);

should he accomplish the latter, garnering a 1st round pick next year from whichever team Al goes to...I'd call the trade a success. SEriously, that's my only 'true, bottom line WANT' out of the inevitable SNT.

[Gangstur]

The problem is that the Hawks are not in the driver's seat on this one. Everyone knows the Hawks aren't going to re-sign the guy, so it's just the other teams working a bidding war at their own pace.

Just to quickly compare it to Joe Johnson last year, PHX was able to completely dictate the terms of the deal because they had the legitimate threat of just re-signing Johnson. So PHX could pick the price. Here, the Hawks have no such power, and have to sit and wait for the other teams to figure it out, and it will probably last right down until the end.

Think of an Ebay auction, and how quick the price would go up if the seller was bidding on his own stuff with the auction ending at any time.

[DrReality]

Quote:

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Not to be a pain - but it's my pet peave:

You hold your cards close to the vest...it's an old riverboat gambler metaphor.

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I stand corrected. Learned something new. Like vest better. thx.