Smith Contract Extension Stalled Until Next Year

[AnakinJoe]

Excerpt from AJC article:

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/h...stalk_1024.html

Hawks hold off contract talks with forward Smith

By SEKOU SMITH

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 10/23/07

The discussion of Josh Smith's long-term future with the Hawks is being tabled until next summer, when the fourth-year forward will be a restricted free agent.

Smith's agents, Brian Dyke and Wallace Prather, met with Hawks management Monday to discuss a Smith contract extension but exited the meeting firm in their plans to simply play out the season and revisit the discussion.

[TheDude]

ug...not sure why in hades that management thinks this is a good idea seeing as there is a very good chance that smith will be an allstar or near that, hence deserving of more money.

[DJ_Money]

Quote:

---

ug...not sure why in hades that management thinks this is a good idea seeing as there is a very good chance that smith will be an allstar or near that, hence deserving of more money.

---

Or if Smith's agents believe the same, they realize they can get more money by waiting a year. It works both ways.

[warcore]

yea, teams WILL throw a max offer at him?

does our cheap@$$ ownership want that? i guess so...

[gsuteke]

He'll be a restricted free agent. The Hawks can match any offer Josh gets from a club with cap space. No questions asked.

Furthermore the number of teams with the cap space to sign Josh next Summer you'll be able to count on one hand.

I understand what Wallace just signed for. However, if the Hawks signed Josh tomorrow for 11 million per they may have wound up bidding against themselves in the end.

There is no reason to panic. Worst case scenario if Josh gets a max offer (how likely is that?) the Hawks can match.

[AnakinJoe]

But if he curses out his coach, gives the fans the finger and refuses to run a play called by the PG (all of which he did last season) then that would also be weighed into contract talks, also. I'm all for dangling the carrot in front of him and others in a similar position. The owners won the ability to match any offer sheet in a player's retricted free agency year and also maintain "Bird rights" in the unrestricted year. In other words, the free agency system is set up for owners to retain their players if the want them. So why not exploit that and instead of bidding against yourself (like Orlando did with Rashard Lewis and Denver did with Nene), let's give it another year and see how it plays out. Ultimately, he can't leave for another 164 games unless the owners decide to cut him loose.

What's the worse that can happen? He has a monster season? Well, that should mean a playoff birth and then it will likely be easier to swallow a major contract extension. His money is likely tied to the team's success. That ain't a bad thing (for a Hawks fan).

[thesheedera]

Quote:

---

There is no reason to panic.

---

Agreed 100%.

Quote:

---

Worst case scenario if Josh gets a max offer (how likely is that?) the Hawks can match.

---

I think there's a scenario that's worse - some rift grows between Josh and his coaches, management, owners, or teammates (all completely hypothetical, I'm NOT suggesting I think this WILL happen) and he decides he wants out. Who would have thought the up and coming Joe Johnson would have wanted out of Phoenix?

If Joe gets miffed that he hasn't been resigned and things don't work out to his liking this season, we could be up against more than another team's offer.

That's the worst case in my mind. Not likely, but it is a possibility.

[Peoriabird]

Doesn't this move give us the ability to be players in free agency next year for a big body like Diop?

[jerrywest]

Quote:

---

But if he curses out his coach, gives the fans the finger and refuses to run a play called by the PG (all of which he did last season) then that would also be weighed into contract talks, also. I'm all for dangling the carrot in front of him and others in a similar position. The owners won the ability to match any offer sheet in a player's retricted free agency year and also maintain "Bird rights" in the unrestricted year. In other words, the free agency system is set up for owners to retain their players if the want them. So why not exploit that and instead of bidding against yourself (like Orlando did with Rashard Lewis and Denver did with Nene), let's give it another year and see how it plays out. Ultimately, he can't leave for another 164 games unless the owners decide to cut him loose.

What's the worse that can happen? He has a monster season? Well, that should mean a playoff birth and then it will likely be easier to swallow a major contract extension. His money is likely tied to the team's success. That ain't a bad thing (for a Hawks fan).

---

Couldn't have said it better. True free agency is dead. Emperor Stern has everyone in a leash. Ain't nobody leaving without great compensation. Its in Smoove's interest to do sign and trade even if he wants to leave. Remember how we got Law out of obsolete Al Harrington.

[Traceman]

I can't place any blame on the Hawks for not giving him an extension if I don't know what he is asking for. If he is asking for the max, they would be crazy to give it to him because if that is the case, they can simply match any offer he gets next year. If he is asking for something less than the max, I'd still have to know what it is before I criticize the team.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Doesn't this move give us the ability to be players in free agency next year for a big body like Diop?

---

I don't think so. Both Smith and Childress still have significant cap holds next offseason unless they are renounced.

[Peoriabird]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Doesn't this move give us the ability to be players in free agency next year for a big body like Diop?

---

I don't think so. Both Smith and Childress still have significant cap holds next offseason unless they are renounced.

---

Won't the expiring contracts of Lue, AJ, and Wright free up some money for a mid level free agent like Diop?

[exodus]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Doesn't this move give us the ability to be players in free agency next year for a big body like Diop?

---

I don't think so. Both Smith and Childress still have significant cap holds next offseason unless they are renounced.

---

Won't the expiring contracts of Lue, AJ, and Wright free up some money for a mid level free agent like Diop?

---

The MLE is available to all teams, even those over the cap. that is all it would take to get Diop so Smiths situation is pretty much irrelevant to Diop.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Doesn't this move give us the ability to be players in free agency next year for a big body like Diop?

---

I don't think so. Both Smith and Childress still have significant cap holds next offseason unless they are renounced.

---

Won't the expiring contracts of Lue, AJ, and Wright free up some money for a mid level free agent like Diop?

---

My recollection from previous posts is that we are not expected to have enough cap room to make a mid-level offer to a player without going over the cap but mrHonline is more on top of this than just about anyone on this site. Perhaps he will tune in and share some thoughts on the nuts and bolts of this and whether deferring new contracts for the Joshes could free up enough cap room to sign someone like Diop.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Doesn't this move give us the ability to be players in free agency next year for a big body like Diop?

---

I don't think so. Both Smith and Childress still have significant cap holds next offseason unless they are renounced.

---

Won't the expiring contracts of Lue, AJ, and Wright free up some money for a mid level free agent like Diop?

---

The MLE is available to all teams, even those over the cap. that is all it would take to get Diop so Smiths situation is pretty much irrelevant to Diop.

---

If the litigation is ongoing, however, there is still a real risk of having our budget tied to the salary cap. I totally understand that we could use the MLE without being over the cap - I am just not sure whether the Hawks will go over the cap.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Hawks have done the right thing. Let the kid and the marketplace set the price for Smoove . . and Childress. I would love to know what the Spirit offered him though.

Here's a scenario that none of you have thought about though. And I think someone posted an article about this the other day. But the vast majority of guys in the 2004 draft class, have NOT signed extentions.

If Smoove wants too much money, but Emeka Okafor is available for a similar asking price, I wonder how many people would be mad at acquiring a player like Emeka in exchange for Smoove? A move like that would give us more of the center that we want, and pretty much have this team set defensively on the frontline.

Law

JJ

Marvin

Horford

Okafor

How about this scenario. A certain perennial all-star forward in the Western Conference, who is reported to be unhappy these days, can opt out of his contract after next season. Would Hawk fans be unhappy, if our management chose to not retain BOTH Smoove and Chill, and instead, immeadiately throw a big money deal after this guy?

Law

JJ

( All-Star Player . . not hard to guess who this is )

Horford

ZaZa

Or this. How about the Hawks going after the center that plays in the Bay Area ( who I personally think is way overrated on this board ). We'd retain Chill, but acquire the center instead of keeping Smoove.

Law

JJ

Marvin

Horford

( Bay Area center . . not hard to guess who this is either )

The point is this. If Smoove has a monster year, and we make the playoffs, the Hawks will definitely retain him, no matter what the cost.

If he struggles, still butt heads with the coaches, and still exhibits very poor shot selection, the price to retain him will go down, or stay right where it is now. If he still wants too much, the Hawks will rightfully explore other options.

This team is playing this exactly right.

[AtLaS]

I wasn't too fond of this comment by Smith's agent.

Quote:

---

"At this point let's just say negotiations have stopped," Prather said. "They made their one offer in July, we didn't agree with it, and they really haven't shown any interest in doing anything else."

---

$45 million was their final offer?

[HawksFan87]

I think Smoove wants to wait as well, Why sign it now. When he can get more money or leave for a better team. Either way it works out in Smooves favor.

[Vesper]

Aren't there other young restricted free agents we can go after next year also?

Smoove won't be the only one available next year. Teams with cap space will have a few players to bid on!

[HawksFan87]

"We're on a mission this year," he said. "I can't let anything get in the way of that."

He's going about this the right way....