Hawks reportedly shopping Smoove

[txsting]

Can't say I'm surprised:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/i...age=09DraftBuzz

Chad Ford: The big trade rumor flying around (if you're already tired of the Shaq-to-Cleveland talk) centers on the Hawks' Josh Smith. Several league sources told ESPN.com that the Hawks have been working hard the past few weeks to see whether they can find a taker for Smith.

The Hawks have some financial issues coming into the summer. Two key players, Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams, are free agents. So are a few others on the roster -- Josh Childress, Zaza Pachulia and Ronald Murray. Although the Hawks would like to keep those players, they can't afford to pay all of them. That has opened the door to the possibility of trading Smith, who, although talented, has a reputation as a difficult player to coach.

The Hawks have had no problem finding teams interested in Smith. The issue is the whopping $6 million trade kicker attached to his contract. The trade kicker essentially would require the team that trades for Smith to pay him the $6 million immediately. In this economic climate, many owners will balk at the payment.

"You are going to see very few owners willing to do things like that anymore," one GM said. "I'm not saying he's impossible to trade. There are a few owners like Paul Allen, James Dolan, Mark Cuban and maybe Daniel Gilbert who would pay the money. But there aren't many."

[MaceCase]

That is one crazy trade kicker

[Flight]

If we're trading Smoove we need Brandon Jennings or a whole lot of talent to replace him.

[macdaddy]

Luckily that's from Chad Ford so I won't start sweating. Trading Smoove in a salary dump will just be hard to swallow even if you aren't a big fan. So we're talking about bringing back a pick or a player making significantly less than Smoove? Great. 8 years to get to respectability and we start going the other way. Of course, this won't really happen so i'm not going to criticize the Hawks on this only the concept.

[coachx]

If we're trading Smoove we need Brandon Jennings or a whole lot of talent to replace him.

What about Bosh ?

[Antmillennium]

If the Hawks trade Josh Smith in favor of keeping Mike Woodson, I'll never again watch another Hawks' game. Mike Woodson is not the kind of coach you get rid of players for. You bring in a much better coach than Woodson, see how Josh Smith responds, and then you get rid of Smith if he can't get his act together.

[mrhonline]

I don't believe this.

[Mrs. Joe Johnson]

Can't say I'm surprised:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/i...age=09DraftBuzz

Chad Ford: The big trade rumor flying around (if you're already tired of the Shaq-to-Cleveland talk) centers on the Hawks' Josh Smith. Several league sources told ESPN.com that the Hawks have been working hard the past few weeks to see whether they can find a taker for Smith.

The Hawks have some financial issues coming into the summer. Two key players, Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams, are free agents. So are a few others on the roster -- Josh Childress, Zaza Pachulia and Ronald Murray. Although the Hawks would like to keep those players, they can't afford to pay all of them. That has opened the door to the possibility of trading Smith, who, although talented, has a reputation as a difficult player to coach.

The Hawks have had no problem finding teams interested in Smith. The issue is the whopping $6 million trade kicker attached to his contract. The trade kicker essentially would require the team that trades for Smith to pay him the $6 million immediately. In this economic climate, many owners will balk at the payment.

"You are going to see very few owners willing to do things like that anymore," one GM said. "I'm not saying he's impossible to trade. There are a few owners like Paul Allen, James Dolan, Mark Cuban and maybe Daniel Gilbert who would pay the money. But there aren't many."

This is riDAMNdiculous as much as Josh gets on my nerves for sometimes makin mistakes there is now way I make a trade like this unless I am getting someone proven. When are the hawks organization going to learn you cant win a CHAMPONSHIP which i think is our ultimate goal on the cheap!!! You will have to pay sometimes u dont have to break the bank but u will have to pony up some money. For the love of God please let this not be true.

If the Hawks trade Josh Smith in favor of keeping Mike Woodson, I'll never again watch another Hawks' game. Mike Woodson is not the kind of coach you get rid of players for. You bring in a much better coach than Woodson, see how Josh Smith responds, and then you get rid of Smith if he can't get his act together.

COSIGN WITH THIS

[txsting]

Luckily that's from Chad Ford so I won't start sweating. Trading Smoove in a salary dump will just be hard to swallow even if you aren't a big fan. So we're talking about bringing back a pick or a player making significantly less than Smoove? Great. 8 years to get to respectability and we start going the other way. Of course, this won't really happen so i'm not going to criticize the Hawks on this only the concept.

The only person who said it was for financial reasons was Ford. And he was clearly just speculating.

If this is true I don't see it as a salary dump. That's just my opinion - I haven't seen evidence of us being tight in the wallet yet.....until that happens I'll cut slack on that. And when someone quotes multiple sources, I can at least smell the smoke.

I don't like the sound of us making calls though. I'd like to think that if wanted to trade Smoove we'd have a few VERY specific targets, not just "seeing what we can get", so to speak.

[Flight]

What about Bosh ?

I'd take him too or Amare

[gsuteke]

If they trade Smoove and subsequently get a legit Center to play along with Al at PF and resign Marvin to play SF I'm not ecstatic but I'm OK with it.

If they're considering trading Smoove to free up money to pay Mike Bibby they're @#()$@# insane!

[Frenzy]

If they trade Smoove and subsequently get a legit Center to play along with Al at PF and resign Marvin to play SF I'm not ecstatic but I'm OK with it.

If they're considering trading Smoove to free up money to pay Mike Bibby they're @#()$@# insane!

c/s

[Dragitoff]

If this is true and the reports that Phoenix may be shopping both Amare and Shaq, how about this mega-blockbuster........

Atlanta Receives: Delonte West and Amare Stoudamire

Phoenix Receives: Josh Smith, Speedy Claxton, Ben Wallace, Aleksander Pavolovic, Darnell Jackson, Randolph Morris

Cleveland Receives: Shaquille O'Neal and Maurice Evans

New Rotations:

D. West

Johnson

Williams

Stoudamire

Horford

Bench: Murray, Pachulia, #19 pick, Law, Hunter, M. West, Childress?

Nash

Richardson

Barnes (re-signed)

Smith

Wallace

Bench: Barbosa, Lopez, Pavlovic, Claxton, Morris, Jackson, Dragic, Dudley, Tucker, Amundson

Mo Williams

Szcerbiak (re-signed)

James

Varajeo

O'Neal

Bench: Ilgauskas, Evans, Gibson, Hickson, Kinsey, J. Williams

This move gives Atlanta a post player and PG. It also gives JJ a proven scorer to give him help while West provides us with a slick shooting PG who can penetrate.

Pheonix moves big contracts giving them flexibility after 2010 to rebuild. They also get a replacement for Stoudamire who will flourish with a PG like Nash running the show.

Cleveland gets it's big giant to aid O'Neal. Why they are seriously interested in O'Neal when they already have good big men is beyond me, but whatever. They don't want to part with Delonte West necessarily, but maybe they liked Mo Evans game enough to see him as a replacement with size.

[Hawk88]

Can't say I'm surprised:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/i...age=09DraftBuzz

Chad Ford: The big trade rumor flying around (if you're already tired of the Shaq-to-Cleveland talk) centers on the Hawks' Josh Smith. Several league sources told ESPN.com that the Hawks have been working hard the past few weeks to see whether they can find a taker for Smith.

The Hawks have some financial issues coming into the summer. Two key players, Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams, are free agents. So are a few others on the roster -- Josh Childress, Zaza Pachulia and Ronald Murray. Although the Hawks would like to keep those players, they can't afford to pay all of them. That has opened the door to the possibility of trading Smith, who, although talented, has a reputation as a difficult player to coach.

The Hawks have had no problem finding teams interested in Smith. The issue is the whopping $6 million trade kicker attached to his contract. The trade kicker essentially would require the team that trades for Smith to pay him the $6 million immediately. In this economic climate, many owners will balk at the payment.

"You are going to see very few owners willing to do things like that anymore," one GM said. "I'm not saying he's impossible to trade. There are a few owners like Paul Allen, James Dolan, Mark Cuban and maybe Daniel Gilbert who would pay the money. But there aren't many."

Our lousy as crap Owners trying to save a buck? Say it aint so!

Hawk88

[khaos7]

I would have a problem, simply because ATL will never know what this kid could do away from Woodson. I'm sorry, but Woody staying and Josh going is a bitter pill to swallow. For one, Woody isn't Phil Jackson, Greg Popavich, Larry Brown, Mike Dunleavy, Stan Van Gundy, or Flip Saunders. These coachs (to varying degrees) have a pedigree. Woody doesn't and the only reason he's still around is because he comes on the cheap. Even if that was not the case and it was done strictly for basketball purposes, I have a problem with trading Smith and keeping Woodson. I'd opt for the other way around. Smith hasn't been the only player to gripe about Woody. If this is being done to improve the team, I'm all for it. However, if improving the team is the reason, Woody also has to go. There's no way to justify trading Josh Smith, but keeping Woodson, from a basketball perspective.

[tbhawksfan]

If the plan is to trade Smoove, the contract that Sund gave him nine months ago with the trade kicker makes him (Sund/Hawks) look very stupid.

[coachx]

Our lousy as crap Owners trying to save a buck? Say it aint so!

Hawk88

I do not think the reason we trade Smoove is to shed payroll. It would be to get more talent.

[NineOhTheRino]

I'd take him too or Amare

i think the goal is to save money

[MaceCase]

If the plan is to trade Smoove, the contract that Sund gave him nine months ago with the trade kicker makes him (Sund/Hawks) look very stupid.

The thing is niether Sund or the organization is responsible for that contract, they simply matched the contract that Memphis drew up for Smith. At the time 10 mill looked reasonable and was much better than getting nothing in return if he left. Memphis' Chris Wallace is looking more and more like a dastardly genius by the day.

[exodus]

The thing is niether Sund or the organization is responsible for that contract, they simply matched the contract that Memphis drew up for Smith. At the time 10 mill looked reasonable and was much better than getting nothing in return if he left. Smith's agent is looking more and more like a dastardly genius by the day.

Corrected. It is a pretty safe bet that it wasn't the Memphis GM that came up with the trade kicker. It was almost certainly Smiths agent who probably wasn't happy with the Hawks refusal to negotiate.

If Smith is traded the Hawks might have to include some cash to take the sting out of the trade kicker.

If they are shopping smith i seriously doubt it would be for a salary dump since his contract isn't bad relative to his production and talent.

Edited June 15, 2009 by exodus