Another Broussard Blog on Smith

[wfhawkfan]

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One of my boys, a former college teammate and current Atlanta resident, called me last night. He was distraught. Just when he thought his beloved Hawks were coming up, they lose Josh Childress to a Euro squad.

Now, he's worried about Josh Smith -- and with good reason. Negotiations between Smith and the Hawks are pretty ugly right now.

The Hawks are willing to pay Smith $57 million over six years (not quite the $60 million I wrote a few days ago). That's only $9.5 million per year.

Atlanta realizes Smith has no leverage (I'm told Europe is not on his radar), and while one could argue the Hawks are being smart financially, they're screwing up by creating bad blood with one of their main cogs.

I was on the conference call with Childress yesterday as he explained his decision to go to Europe. Childress made it clear that the Hawks' seeming indifference toward re-signing him, their hardball tactics, and their slow pace during negotiations pushed him overseas. (Sure the money was huge, but Childress may not have even gotten to that point if the Hawks had handled things differently).

Smith, who's much more valuable than Childress, feels the same way.

He wants $12 million a year. His position is that Philly was willing to pay him close to that until Elton Brand became available. And word around the league is that the L.A. Clippers were willing to give Smith $13 million a year before realizing they could get Marcus Camby for three jock straps and a pair of beat-up Air Force Ones.

Of course now, no team besides Atlanta can offer Smith more than the mid-level exception, so for all intents and purposes, the Hawks can set his market value.

As things stand now, Smith is viewing a sign-and-trade deal (which is unlikely) or acceptance of the Hawks' one-year qualifying offer as his most favorable options.

The Hawks may be fine with getting Smith to sign the qualifying offer because they think they'll still get a great year out of him since he'll be playing for a contract. Then, even though he'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer, they'll still be able to pay Smith more than any other team.

But in that scenario, Smith might be so upset with the Hawks that he would take less money to go elsewhere (as Elton Brand did after getting fed up with the Clippers' negotiating tactics).

Personally, if I were the Hawks, I'd up my offer to the $11 million per year range to keep Smith happy. You don't want a player being angry and feeling slighted. Bottom line is that Smith is blossoming into a star. He's never been in trouble off the court, and your fan base will go berserk if you lose the guy.

Also, there's no truth to the notion that Smith doesn't want to return to Atlanta to play for Mike Woodson. His relationship with Woodson is no doubt strained, but that's not a factor in his willingness or unwillingness to return to Atlanta.

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[exodus]

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Personally, if I were the Hawks, I'd up my offer to the $11 million per year range to keep Smith happy.

That is my view.

[crimedog]

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Personally, if I were the Hawks, I'd up my offer to the $11 million per year range to keep Smith happy.

That is my view.

Agree, Broussard is one of my least favorite ESPN guys but this blog is solid enough.

[Admin]

And now that we have saved a few million by possibly signing Evans instead of Childress we might just have the ability to up our offer to Smith.

[coachx]

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Personally, if I were the Hawks, I'd up my offer to the $11 million per year range to keep Smith happy.

That is my view.

2nd that motion ! 6 years $66 mill !

I would prefer a locked in contract that starts at $11 mill per and stays there instead of a escalating contract that starts at $9 mill and goes up to $14 mill in year #6. We will thank ourselves 5 and 6 years down the road when Smoove is makiing $11 mill instead of $14 mill.

If we signed Smoove for $9 mill starting its not like it frees up any money we could use this season anyway. Whether Smoove's salary starts at $9 or $11 mill we still only have the MLE of $5.58 to spend along with league minimum salaries.

[AtLaS]

9.5 a year? Seriously, WTF is wrong with Sund and the ASG? Quit playing hardball, you don't do that with your most important players, especially when we are DESPERATE and in no position to do this. I see a JJ/PHX type situation coming soon. I'm just waiting for Smith to ask out, and, I don't blame him.

[Zone034life]

2 or 3 million difference and they are dragging there feet. What a joke! I'm trying to be patient with Sund and ASG but if they don't sign Smoove to an extension i'm going to boycott and protest in front of Phillips Arena!

[vdunkndunk]

The Hawks need to realize that there's a fine line between fiscal sanity on the one hand and pissing off your own players, alienating your fan base, and getting a reputation with players around the league as tightfisted and incompetent. $11 million is a reasonable compromise, and in my opinion it represents a fairly good deal for the Hawks compared to what Josh could have gotten on the open market if he had been an unrestricted free agent.

[mrhonline]

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2 or 3 million difference and they are dragging there feet. What a joke! I'm trying to be patient with Sund and ASG but if they don't sign Smoove to an extension i'm going to boycott and protest in front of Phillips Arena!

Guys, it's exactly the same situation in Philly, Chicago, and Charlotte.

The difference is that the Hawks' past fiascoes make them easy media targets.

[thefloydian]

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2 or 3 million difference and they are dragging there feet. What a joke! I'm trying to be patient with Sund and ASG but if they don't sign Smoove to an extension i'm going to boycott and protest in front of Phillips Arena!

Guys, it's exactly the same situation in Philly, Chicago, and Charlotte.

The difference is that the Hawks' past fiascoes make them easy media targets.

The real difference is that those other franchises can afford to take the hits more than the Hawks. If the Hawks lose Smith, they are done.

[Zone034life]

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2 or 3 million difference and they are dragging there feet. What a joke! I'm trying to be patient with Sund and ASG but if they don't sign Smoove to an extension i'm going to boycott and protest in front of Phillips Arena!

Guys, it's exactly the same situation in Philly, Chicago, and Charlotte.

The difference is that the Hawks' past fiascoes make them easy media targets.

No its not because the Hawks have already lost one young player who is a RFA.

[TheDude]

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2 or 3 million difference and they are dragging there feet. What a joke! I'm trying to be patient with Sund and ASG but if they don't sign Smoove to an extension i'm going to boycott and protest in front of Phillips Arena!

Guys, it's exactly the same situation in Philly, Chicago, and Charlotte.

The difference is that the Hawks' past fiascoes make them easy media targets.

this is not true....no other team had an American player who wanted to be on the team split to Europe because of hardball tactics (unless as Broussard said you are the Clippers and should we be using the Clippers as a model?)..chll would not have gotten to that point if the ASG hadn't been trying to play hardball...

and even if you were right, when you are in the position of this franchise and trying to make a name for yourself, you do not risk players WHO ACTUALLY WANT TO BE HERE by pissing them off....they are treading on thin ice, other players such as Joe and Horford are watching this.

[Admin]

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no other team had an American player who wanted to be on the team

If Childress wanted to be on the team, he would be. He was given at least one offer above the MLE and above his fair market value and he declined it.

[Diesel]

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2 or 3 million difference and they are dragging there feet. What a joke! I'm trying to be patient with Sund and ASG but if they don't sign Smoove to an extension i'm going to boycott and protest in front of Phillips Arena!

Guys, it's exactly the same situation in Philly, Chicago, and Charlotte.

The difference is that the Hawks' past fiascoes make them easy media targets.

This is the reason why you go ahead and keep your players happy.

Now the Hawks have farther demonstrated that their owners don't know what they are doing. We are like repellent to good free agents.

[Diesel]

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no other team had an American player who wanted to be on the team

If Childress wanted to be on the team, he would be. He was given at least one offer above the MLE and above his fair market value and he declined it.

Childress made it clear that the Hawks' seeming indifference toward re-signing him, their hardball tactics, and their slow pace during negotiations pushed him overseas.

[Sasha_Volkov]

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no other team had an American player who wanted to be on the team

If Childress wanted to be on the team, he would be. He was given at least one offer above the MLE and above his fair market value and he declined it.

Childress made it clear that the Hawks' seeming indifference toward re-signing him, their hardball tactics, and their slow pace during negotiations pushed him overseas. To him "seeming indifference" is code for "less than $8 million a year".

[crimedog]

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2 or 3 million difference and they are dragging there feet. What a joke! I'm trying to be patient with Sund and ASG but if they don't sign Smoove to an extension i'm going to boycott and protest in front of Phillips Arena!

Guys, it's exactly the same situation in Philly, Chicago, and Charlotte.

The difference is that the Hawks' past fiascoes make them easy media targets.

Deng, Gordon, and Okafor have all expressed that they want out of their current situations. Okafor is more than likely to take the QO, Deng has announced that he will make his decision by August 4 at the latest, and Gordon (the guy who most people figured would either be SnT'd or take the QO anyway) is still miles apart from the Bulls and the liklihood of him being there in 2 years hasn't increased. Iggy is most likely to resign with Philly because they seem willing to spend now because they are a legit borderline contender.

Regardless though, I don't look at it as a positive to be lumped in with Chi or Okafor unless you think Smith walking for nothing or demanding a SnT (and lowering his return in the process) is a positive thing.

On top of that, we are NOT in the same boat as those teams in that we now only have 8 players under contract and need to get Smith taken care of soon so we go into the season with more than that.

[Lacsho]

This is the reason why you go ahead and keep your players happy. Now the Hawks have farther demonstrated that their owners don't know what they are doing. We are like repellent to good free agents.

Exactly!!!!!!! See Washington Wizards........ Arenas even took a pay cut.

[Admin]

Exactly. They said here's 6-7 million per and he said no I need 8, they said if you can find 8 somewhere we'll match it. He couldn't find that in the US and went out and found an offer to get him paid. I don't blame him for wanting to get paid, but I can't stand for someone to say that Childress "wanted" to be here because he had plenty of opportunity and would have been paid very well for it.

[wfhawkfan]

Apparently Monta Ellis has signed for 6 yr 66 million.

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The Warriors locked up restricted free-agent guard Monta Ellis with a six-year deal worth $66 million, according to an NBA insider. However, Golden State could be in danger of losing Andris Biedrins, their remaining restricted free agent.

The fourth-year player out of Lanier High in Mississippi is now the highest-paid Warrior, and is expected to be the starting point guard.

Meanwhile, a source close to Biedrins said the fifth-year center is being pursued heavily by European teams.

The Latvia native is drawing strong interest in a couple of Russian clubs, according to the source, who added that teams are willing to sign him for 3-5 years for what amounts to more than $10 million per year.

This would be the best news for Biedrins' in months. The only team with salary cap space that was reportedly interested in him, other than the Warriors, was Philadelphia. But the 76ers spent their cap money on Elton Brand. So leverage of a fat offer from overseas is Biedrins' best hope of getting the money he wants from the Warriors, or anywhere in the NBA.

Biedrins' camp, which was rumored to have its sight set on the ballpark of Chris Kaman's contract (five years, $55 million), likely won't be elated about the offer they're likely going to get from the Warriors. It would be surprising if Biedrins' offer even equaled Corey Maggette's average of $10 million a year. A six-year, $48 million offer may be what Golden State presents Biedrins.

I think this sets the market for smoove.