Philly article about Smoove and Chill visits

[NJHAWK]

Posted on Wed, Jul. 2, 2008

Sixers set to meet today with Hawks free agent Josh Smith

By PHIL JASNER

Philadelphia Daily News

jasnerp@phillynews.com

JOSH SMITH, the argument goes, is not a pure NBA low-post player.

But the 6-9 Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent is:

* The league's No. 2 shot-blocker the last two seasons, each time finishing behind the Denver Nuggets' Marcus Camby.

* The first player to block at least 225 shots and hit at least 25 three-pointers in the same season; he has had at least 200 blocks and 25 triples in three straight seasons.

* The third player in history to average at least 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 steals in a season. The others are Hall of Famers David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Smith's remarkable fourth season included averages of 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 steals. Coming out of Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. in 2004, he originally committed to Indiana University before becoming the No. 17 pick in the 2004 draft.

And he won't turn 23 until December.

All that is why the 76ers, who have about $11.5 million in salary-cap space available, have invited Smith and his representatives to visit today. He and agents Brian Dyke and Wallace Prowther visited yesterday with the Hawks and newly minted general manager Rick Sund, who has said repeatedly that ownership plans to match any offers made to Smith and his restricted free-agent teammate, Josh Childress, the No. 6 overall pick in '04.

Childress, 25, a 6-8 forward who came off the bench in 76 games last season, is scheduled to meet with the Sixers later this week. Childress is being considered for the Sixers' need at small forward. His fourth season was the first in which he was used exclusively as a reserve.

If the Sixers were to use the entire $11.5 million toward a contract for Smith, using the maximum permissible annual raises of 8 percent from the base year, they could offer a 5-year deal worth $66.7 million. Smith turned down an in-season offer of an extension worth about $45 million, also for 5 years.

(An aside: A distant rumor yesterday suggested that the Sixers were trying to clear additional space to increase an offer to whoever the final target turns out to be.)

President/general manager Eddie Stefanski has said it probably would take all of the cap space to add an impact player, whether in free agency or in trade. He is expected to continue exploring the availability of forward Elton Brand, who opted out of his $16.44 million final season with the Los Angeles Clippers; indications have been that Brand prefers to remain with the Clippers, but is looking for a 6-year package worth more than $100 million.

Brand, 29, is coming off Achilles' tendon surgery and played in just the final eight games of last season.

David Falk, Brand's agent, did not respond to a telephone message from the Daily News.

"With Josh Smith, there wouldn't be one team as athletic, top to bottom," said an agent familiar with the Sixers, and not affiliated with Smith. "All they'd be lacking is a Kyle Korver-type shooter."

Ironically, the Sixers helped create some of their cap space with the December trade that sent Korver to the Utah Jazz for the expiring contract of Gordan Giricek and a future first-round draft choice.

But the prize in the Sixers' planning is Smith, if they are able to concoct an offer that might force the Hawks not to match. The Hawks hold a right of first refusal with both Smith and Childress.

The Sixers made their interest in Smith clear with a telephone call shortly after midnight yesterday, the first day of free agency. The Sixers, at that point, also contacted representatives for Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams, their own restricted free agents.

"I believe in the people there," said Merle Scott, one of Williams' representatives. "They told me that Lou has come this far and that they don't want to lose him."

Scott said he also received calls from "several" other teams about Williams, but that Williams prefers to remain with the Sixers.

Rob Pelinka, Iguodala's agent, did not return a call from the Daily News. Iguodala rejected an in-season offer of a 5-year extension worth a little more than $57 million.

[NJHAWK]

Well as it stands its 5 years 67 mill but I thought the part about them trying to clear cap space was interesting. They may convince Smoove to wait to make his desicion for a little bit till they can clear room to offer more.

[MemphisX]

They will give away Calvin Booth, Rodney Carney or maybe even Reggie Evans to open up some more room.

[DrReality]

I think we should have Williams come to Atl to talk just to thicken the plot. Gotta wonder how much if any of having Chill visit is strategy to increase their odds of getting SMoove.

[exodus]

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They will give away Calvin Booth, Rodney Carney or maybe even Reggie Evans to open up some more room.

The only way Philly can clear cap space is to trade those players to a team under the cap.

[crimedog]

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They will give away Calvin Booth, Rodney Carney or maybe even Reggie Evans to open up some more room.

The only way Philly can clear cap space is to trade those players to a team under the cap.

Right, and the only one of those guys who might hold any interest to a team under the cap is Carney.

[mrhonline]

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Right, and the only one of those guys who might hold any interest to a team under the cap is Carney.

The plan was to trade the draft pick and either Evans or Green.

No one wants Green. Evans is another matter.

But, if Smith signs the offer sheet soon, it's all moot.

[crimedog]

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Right, and the only one of those guys who might hold any interest to a team under the cap is Carney.

The plan was to trade the draft pick and either Evans or Green.

No one wants Green. Evans is another matter.

But, if Smith signs the offer sheet soon, it's all moot.

Well you know the CBA better than I do but at this point they can only clear significant cap by trading one of those dudes to a team with the cap space to absorb them straight up, right? My point was that no team with cap space is going to want to jeopardize that to pick up Reggie (he's valuable but not to that type of team) or Willie Green. Carney though, is young and relatively cheap and might be of interest to a team like Golden State (although they have about 298 players like him who don't get burn).

[mrhonline]

I'm not arguing with you; you are absolutely correct.

Carney is the only one with value, and I don't see them trading him.

[Iman]

We should at least start talks with Williams. Even funnier would be to also pursue Iguodala. If we picked up Iquodala and made the decision to let Chillz and Marvin go, think about our team then.

[exodus]

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We should at least start talks with Williams. Even funnier would be to also pursue Iguodala. If we picked up Iquodala and made the decision to let Chillz and Marvin go, think about our team then.

We can't offer another team's FA more than the MLE so that would rule out Iggy.

[Guest]

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We should at least start talks with Williams. Even funnier would be to also pursue Iguodala. If we picked up Iquodala and made the decision to let Chillz and Marvin go, think about our team then.

Just to spitball, if we want Louis Williams and he wants to be here we can offer him part or all of the MLE. Now it is very critical for Philly to do everything in chronological order if they want to sign Smith, that means they must sign Iggy and Williams after Smith because Iggy and Williams will eat up cap space.

Having Williams agree to an offer sheet with us will force Philly to let him go or match and be left with not enough cap space to pursue Smoove. If Philly matches, they probably still have enough space to sign Childress. If Philly does not match, then we will surely be over the Luxury Threshold if we sign both Childress and Smoove so that probably means we lose Childress or have to make drastic trades.

[Traceman]

knew it meant you could keep Smoove? In addition, you might have a little more room under the luxury tax threshold to spend a little more on FAs if you could sign Lou to a deal starting at $4M a season versus signing Chillz to a deal starting at $6.5M - $7M a season.

I'd rather have the Joshes but it is a thought.

[Guest]

I would rather have Childress any day of the week over Lou, I would avoid a trade for Lou if it involved Childress too. The only way I would take on Lou is from an offer sheet, I don't think it will happen because of Luxury Tax and also because our team really likes Law.