Hawks will lose JT....

[Traceman]

You think Portland would take JT/Nazr for Wallace? I'd do it in a heartbeat if they would. Either Reef or Wallace can play SF. I'd LOVE a Theo/Wallace/Reef frontline. That would be the best frontline in the NBA with the POSSIBLE exception of LA with Shaq/Malone/Fox.

That being said, how in the [censored] does that save us any money THIS YEAR anyway? We are STILL going to be paying the luxury tax. Same thing with the Dez Mason/Kukoc proposal. Not that Milwaukee would do that anyway. They are trying to avoid paying luxury tax as well and they just drafted their PG of the future in TJ Ford. JT and Ford can't play together so why would they make such a deal.

If AOL truly wants to sell the Hawks, why would they devalue the team by trading one of its best and most popular players? Trading JT MIGHT net the team some savings in 04/05 but it won't save them anything this year.

If they are as committed to saving money at all costs as you would have everyone believe, all they have to do is let JT walk and sign 3 players to minimum deals. Now that the salary cap has gone up to almost $44 million, the luxury tax limit will likely go up to AT LEAST $54 million. We have 9 guys signed now at less than $51 million. If we sign 3 players to minimum deals, we will be under the tax.

[dimes4life]

Why would the Blazers want another guard when they already have Stoudamire and McGinnis. They wouldn't want another guard, that is for sure. Not only that, but than the Hawks would have Reef, Wallace, Theo and Big Dog....Only thee of those players can start.....

[Diesel]

Unless you want to trade for Terrell Brandon and Hope that he can retire and get some money back? The NBA is cracking down. They just denied Orlando to recieve Medical Exemption for Hill. But it's foolish to get a player just for the cap. It means that we give up. Our team couldn't win last year and we haven;t changed much and given up a player for somebody who can't play will not make us better.

Next year is the target with most trades. Next year is the only year that matters trade wise. Getting a player like Sheed could help NEXT year. Toni too.

[Diesel]

TO AOL.

Remember they look at the bottom line. The bottom line is that we have been a losing team. The League doesn't see JT as this top tier FA that you claim he is and by the results, neither does AOL. I think that there is a definite LIMIT to how much AOL will match on JT and I doubt that JT will see much more than 7.2 million. Secondly, what reason has JT really given for AOL to go into a long term deal with him.

My thoughts on JT is that he would be a very good SG but a less than Mediocre PG. So you can stop the Diesel wants to trade JT talks now. I'm being realistic... Something that KB and others are NOT. JT is NOT a piece that we can do without. He's an undersized SG. I have watched us let Dion walk and his contract was very reasonable. I have watched us let Ira walk and while i don't think Ira is a talent that we can't find in the CBA, I do believe that he would have stay for something reasonable. I have watched us let DJ leave and he was a #6 pick in the draft. Basically, I think our management is in a holding pattern. I also believe that we will NOT match ANY offer given. But today is the start of the FAcy period... We will see.

[Guest]

I'm not againest S&T JT if it helps us.But bringing

lon contracts(Eddie Jones) or to sign guys like Reggie

Miller doesn't help for the future.

I dunno if I would want Wallace or not.He's seemed to

underachieve over the years.

[Diesel]

Well, I mentioned picking Reggie up with MCE not trade. I think Reggie's purpose would be to help with identity and leadership as well as give us a three point threat. We might be able to accomplish the same thing by signing Steve Smith to the vet min. What you need to understand Hotlanta is that sometimes, it's good for a team to get some vet leadership regaurdless of age. Our team has no identity and no leadership. An example is the Spurs. Last year, they picked up Kevin WIllis. He's not a spring chicken. However, had they not had him, they probably wouldn't have beaten the Lakers. The same applies for Steve Kerr. You might ask what makes that old man valueable, it's because he has good experience. And while he might not get you the best stats, he can get you a player who knows what to do in most every situation. Again without Kerr, the Spurs would not be champions. We need that same thing, except, unlike San Antonio, we have NO identity. I said Reggie because he brings us a player who has been there before and knows what it takes to go back.

I mentioned Jones and like you I hate his contract or age. However, I mentioned Jones because that is the rumor. NOthing more. I'm not even trying to defend us getting Jones. It's just been rumored that Miami is trying to work a SNT with us and Jones probably would be the deal.

[Guest]

If Reggie Miller was even 33 or 34 and would

stay here for 3 or 4 years I'd see where you are

coming from.We do need a vet SG that can shoot

the 3.....But we don't need a 1 or 2 year band aid.

That's my problem with the whole thing really.Need

a vet that is good enough that we can keep him around

3 or 4 years.

It's nice that Willis came in and foul Shaq a couple of

times.But he wasn't the reason the Spurs won.The Lakers

were a broke down team and everyone seen them wounded

in the Minnesota series.

Kerr doesn't cost the exception either.Kerr is comes cheap.

[Traceman]

because we are waiting to see how much mney we have to spend to resign JT. Unless any of those 3 guys are willing to come back at or near the minimum, the team would be crazy to resign them unless they knew what it was going to take to bring JT back.

Yes Ira would stay for something reasonable (probably 3 yrs/$8 million or so) but right now, the team is not willing to make that long of a comittment to him. That $2.5 million to $3 million a year he wants could be going to JT and resigning JT is the team's first priority. As he should be. DG is probably worth the same amount as Ira but the same situation applies to him that applies to Ira. As for DJ, I still hope we resign him but I knew that we could be faced with this situation when Pete declined to pick up his option.

Calling JT a "less than medicore PG" is a joke. He was one of only 5 players in the ENTIRE NBA who averaged more than 17 ppg and 7 apg. The other four were all stars. Even with all his faults, JT is not only more than medicore as a PG, he is a GOOD PG.

[Diesel]

If we knew for a fact that we were going to resign JT at AnY Price, then we wouldn't be so quick to let good role players slide by?

I mean does that make sense to you.

DJ is a 6th pick with much potential. He would probably take the vet Min at 2 million. IF we knew for a fact that we were going to match anything that JT is offered... Don't you think we would resign him? Your logic is foolish. YOu say, ah... we want to see what JT will go for? Why? & does it matter? Why should we allow good role players to get taken away?? Obviously, the Cap does MEAN something... Right?

That also means that Every offer for JT is up for investigation. I mean, if we can't spend 2 million on a 6th pick... Then Surely we must be really examining closely what we spend on JT??

In reply to:

---

Calling JT a "less than medicore PG" is a joke. He was one of only 5 players in the ENTIRE NBA who averaged more than 17 ppg and 7 apg.

---

Yeah, but can he bring the ball up against Token Pressure? Can he find the open man? Can he run any play other than the two man game? Can he spot a cutter? Where is his floor vision?

Don't confuse good player with Good PG. JT at PG is no different than Iverson at PG...

Listen to Iverson's first year stats....

23.5 ppg, 7.5 apg...

Is that a guy who sounds like a good PG or what? By your standards, that is where he should be.

[Traceman]

Use your head man! If the Hawks sign DJ to a deal starting at $2 million, Ira to a deal starting at $2 million and DG starting to a deal at $2 million, that is $6 million that could have been used to resign JT. JT is CLEARLY more important to the franchise than those 3 guys combined. THAT is why we will not sign ANY of them to a deal that is much over the minimum until AFTER JT has been resigned! Why is that so hard for you to comprehend?

To give you an analogy, signing DJ, Ira and DG to deals at their market value before resigning JT would have been like the Pacers signing Brad Miller and Reggie Miller to deals at their market value before they resigned Jermaine O'Neal. Instead, the Pacers signed the guy they wanted back the most FIRST and now, they will try to figure out how to bring back Miller and Miller without paying the luxury tax. If they can't work something out, one of the 2 Millers either won't be back or they will be back for less than market value. That is how we are dealing with out situation.

I agree that DJ has potential and I would LOVE to see him back. That said, if we only have so much money in the pot, I'd make sure that I had enough to resign JT before I made an offer to DJ.

As for your Iverson analogy, are you suggesting that I would be upset if we had AI at PG? I certainly would not. I'd be THRILLED! AI may be better suited to play SG because of his shoot first mentality, but make no mistake, I'd be more than happy with what he could bring to the table as a PG. If AI was a PG, he'd STILL be an All Star and one of the best players in the NBA. In fact, if he was a PG, the only PG I'd take over him RIGHT NOW is Kidd and I'd be leery about doing that.

[Diesel]

First off, Nobody said anything about signing all three? That would mean that the whole draft went to waste. However, I believe DJ is worth the money even as a Project. Don't you?

Now, your logic is foolish because you say...

1. THE HAWKS WILL MATCH ANY PRICE ON JT.

but then you say:

2. THE HAWKS HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW MUCH THEY WILL SPEND ON JT BEFORE SIGNING OTHER PLAYERS.

The Illogic is this. JT is not the last player that the Hawks must sign. we have a roster right now of 8 maybe 9. That leaves 4 to 5 players needed after JT.

You say we look for CBA talent after JT.

I say we sign DJ for 2 million (which is very reasonable if he can play) and we then look and see what kind of offers JT have on the table. If the offer is too high.... I don't see JT as a 20 million dollar player. And I'm not willing to lose both JT and DJ waiting on word of how much JT will be offered. If the price for JT is too high, I say we do a sign and trade that will Benefit us in some way. That's very plain and Simple.

Your logic...

" Well, we match any offer given to JT and we go in with the EXACT SAME team we had Last year... But instead of Email we have Diaw and instead of Glover we have Hansen."

You know what that leads to? US Losing and being in a worse cap situation next year.

Plus, if DJ becomes the next McGrady... How hard would you kick yourself?

JT has not shown me enough to say that we can't live without him... Yet that's what you insist. In the same vein... We could be losing a very good Prospect in DJ...

The History repeat itself moment.

We did the same thing years ago. We had Cliff Robinson calling Babcock looking for a job. We had a word from Rick Fox. That summer we missed out on Cliff Robinson, Cedrick Ceballos, and Corliss Williamson because Rick Fox showed some interest in coming. When it was all said and Done, the Lakers gave Fox a lower offer than we did and we were stuck with what we had... Ty Corbin. Coincidentally, that was the same summer that we elected not to keep Laettner and we paid Hendu the big Money.

TY Corbin over Cliff, Ced, and Big Nasty.

remember History trace.

do you want to keep the status quo or do you want to take a chance. Only teams that take a chance win.

[Traceman]

I said the Hawks have to see how much they are going to have to pay JT before they resign the other FAs. BIG difference!

The Hawks likely have an offer on the table to JT but they are probably willing to match any offer JT gets up to a certain point. I think we will definitely match any offer JT gets up to what Rip Hamilton signed for (7 yrs/$62 million). Anything over that is obviously questionable. Now tell me, who is going to pay JT more than Rip or Dre is getting? Obviously it COULD happen, but if JT is as bad a PG as you claim he is, why would any team overpay for him? Logic?

We have a roster of 9. Reef, Dog, Theo, Nazr, Hendu, CC, DD, Diaw and Hansen. JT makes 10. If the roster is 12, how in the [censored] do we need 4 to 5 more players after JT is signed? Logic?

You don't see JT as a $20 million player and you think another team is going to pay so much for him that we can't afford him? Logic?

If the cost of JT is too high, what kind of sign and trade with JT can we do wit JT that will improve our salry situation? Won't we have to take back a salary (or salaries) EQUAL to JT? Logic?

If management thinks DJ is going to be the next McGrady and they don't resign him in order to save a couple of million dollars next season, our front office has even less business sense than I think it does. If they truly believed DJ was going to be great, wouldn't it make sense to spend

$2 million now in luxury tax and make it back on the back end when DJ becomes a star? If they let resigning JT prevent them from making that decision, they have to live with it. However, if they don't match an offer JT receives from another team, won't they have the same possibility of regretting not matching the offer later? I think there is a lot better chance that JT will play in an All Star game before DJ will.

Here is the deal. You said:

"JT has not shown me enough to say that we can't live without him... Yet that's what you insist. In the same vein... We could be losing a very good Prospect in DJ..."

So are you saying that DJ has shown you enough to say that we can't live without HIM? JT has proven that he can play in this league. DJ has proven nothing up until this point. I love DJ. He's my favorite Hawk. But if losing him is the only way we can keep JT, I'd choose keeping JT.