AJC: Hawks to Unload Big Dog.

[Diesel]

Hawks in talks to unload 'Big Dog' to Sixers

By MICHAEL LEE

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

AP

[Glenn Robinson might be joining Allen Iverson in Philly.

YOUR TURN

The probable Glenn Robinson trade ...?

  Helps the Hawks 29% 209

  Hurts the Hawks 71% 524

Total Votes   733Vote

Were the Hawks so unimpressed with Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson that they'd be willing to trade their leading scorer -- in essence -- for nobody?

Hawks director of basketball operations and interim general manager Billy Knight confirmed Tuesday night that the team has had conversations about a possible blockbuster four-team trade involving Robinson, New York Knicks forward Latrell Sprewell, Philadelphia 76ers forward Keith Van Horn and Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Terrell Brandon's contract.

In the complicated deal, which could be completed today, Robinson would move to the 76ers, with Van Horn going to Knicks and Sprewell leaving for Timberwolves. Brandon -- and his $11.1 million in salary cap relief -- would come to the Hawks. Other players could be thrown in the mix for cap purposes.

"It's premature," Knight said. "We are talking about a deal, but no deal is a done deal until the deal is done."

Acquiring Brandon would be shrewd move for the Hawks if Brandon sticks to his decision not to play again -- "That's the only way we'd do it," Knight said. If so, his huge contract will move off the books in February, more than two years after he played his last game for the Timberwolves, and take the Hawks out luxury tax territory next year.

Knight had tried to persuade Hawks president Stan Kasten to use the $4.9 million midlevel exception this summer, but with more than $50 million tied up in the 10 players currently under contract, Kasten fears paying the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax. Most of the big-name free agents already have found homes, but this move would put the Hawks on the offensive, giving them the flexibility to sign restricted free agent Jason Terry and pursue other available free agent options at small forward like Lamar Odom, James Posey or Stephen Jackson -- without paying double.

Also, the NBA has extended its disability insurance, which would pay 80 percent of Brandon's salary. Brandon missed all of last season and is expected to retire soon. He played 32 games in 2001-02 before his surgery to repair a cartilage fracture on the surface of his left femur.

Robinson has two years on a contract that will pay him about $22.4 million. He led the Hawks in scoring at 20.8 points per game last season but he also led the team at 3.6 turnovers a game (fourth in the league) and shot a career-low 43.2 percent. He missed 13 games last season because of various injuries -- a sore wrist, inflamed Achilles' -- and the Hawks were 9-4 without him.

Robinson was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks last August for Toni Kukoc, Leon Smith and a first-round pick. Sprewell finished second on the Knicks in scoring and steals but he has fallen out of favor in New York, where he showed up training camp last season with a broken hand and failed to notify the team of his condition.

Sprewell would join a Minnesota team that already has signed free agent center Michael Olowokandi and traded for point guard Sam Cassell to complement All-NBA first-team forward Kevin Garnett.

The Knicks have been pursuing Van Horn, who had an uneven season with the 76ers after being traded from the New Jersey Nets for Dikembe Mutombo last summer.

[Diesel]

I know that JT and Odom are friends....

Is it possible that Odom would take a 2 year 9 million dollar deal to play with us?

Really, for him, that would be like a Pay Cut... Miami is probably going to throw 10 million per at him.

However the lineup of:

JT/Diaw/Odom/SAR/Theo would be appealing.

But if we did this stupid trade in order to sign Stephen Jackson or even DJ... It's not worth it.

[phoostal]

I think I mentioned this about a month ago, when I said we should do a sign and trade for Odom with Robinson. Actually, Diesel you scolded me for the deal. But, with this Brandon deal going down that is allowing us to make an attempt for Odom. So essentially it was a Robinson for Odom deal.

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope the article is correct and that we will sign JT and Odom. We would have a nice starting lineup with those two signed on to the team.

If JT and Odom are friends let's hope he is in Odom's ear constantly about coming here.

On just a side note, I do like the trade. Clearing money to get better players that fit with our team is the right move to make. So I don't understand how people are saying we are getting nothing. You will see that we will use that cap space to get a good player. So you can't say necessarily that we got nothing.

Now if we trade Theo and Reef, along with not signing JT. Then we are having a firesale. So who knows where we will be going from there.

P

[Guest]

Is Odom another one of those tall athletic guys like

KB was talking about a few weeks ago?I personally

don't like druggies....but most in the league probably

do drugs anyway.

[Lascar78]

He may not be perfect, but he would still be a very good acquisition at his point. He's very skilled and versatile. Here's the only problem: he's yet another unmotivated player. It's all good, but we REALLY need a good coach in the house. Carlisle, Fratello, please come to ATL...

[Guest]

When the CLippers match Odom and we get nothing.I

forgot the guy is a restricted FA.

[Lascar78]

Im not so sure they will. They re-signed Brand to a big contract, offered Arenas a huge contract and are known to want to re-sign Maggette. Maybe they'll also go for Odom, but somehow I doubt it

[Blunt91]

Hey JT an Odom might be buddies but JT and Glenn are "Dog's for Life". Somewhere JT is sitting at his home pissed off that his good friend is about to get traded. Heck JT might not want to come back to the ATL. They don't want to pay him now they are talking about getting rid of his "roaddog".

[Guest]

Jt and Lo were also close wasn't they?Actually,JT

and Rider were friends.

[jezmund]

I think he could get along with anybody if he had to.

[Diesel]

I probably scolded you because Grob is not LAC's style of player...

Actually, I just checked the archive here and there was no sign of you and I in a conversation about Odom...

[Guest]

I think I brought up the Brandon for Dog trade along

time ago.I didn't think it would seriousally happen and

I realize not getting draft picks or anything is a mistake.