Hawks offer Shaq the midlevel exception.

[gutz]

My Hornets friend said from what he has heard (this is literal third hand information I only repeat it here for fans) the Hornets are "kicking the tires" on a deal offered by the Hawks of Paul/Okafor for Smith/Crawford.

Sothron that would ge an absolute MONSTER move if we could pull that off. I hope your friend is right!

Paul/Teague/

JJ/Jordan C/Bibby

Marvin/Evans/Filler

Horford/Okafor/Filler

Okafor/Shaq/Zaza

That team could easily be in the Eastern Conference Finals next year.

[Unforgiven]

i also found this little tidbit about CP3

Hawks next move

[High5]

I wouldn't expect Shaq to be our savior (though I think he could), but I really can't find any downside to signing him. At worst he brings a ton of extra excitement to Phillips. With any luck he could give us just enough against Dwight for us to be a serious contender.

[Unforgiven]

there are only two PG i could see us going after

CP3, Sund badly wants him i can feel it.

Tony Parker, doubt it though cause hes going to new york when contracts up.

[Swiftkick]

Joe, Shaq, Horf, Paul = Championship in Atlanta.

i can live with that

[GameTime]

If we are gonna run under Drew, Shaq will slow us down tremendously (if he is not in shape) He is not worth the MLE now IMO. I would love him with the vet's min. But he will sell tickets so you know the ASG. Cleveland looked like a better team without him IMO.

I think I rather get someone young with talent like a Josh Boone, Ian Mahinmi for really cheap and more defensive oreinted. But Shaq is the best offensive big we can get that is without question. But his D was lacking a bit last year. If he can get in Phoenix shape and focus a bit more on D I would love him to be here.

I am back and forth with this LOL.

[Final_quest]

i also found this little tidbit about CP3

Hawks next move

How reliable is this source? It sounds like he was reading Hawksquawk, and summarized all of our dream moves.

[Swiftkick]

If we bring in Paul to be honest id rather package Horford in deal..Paul &Smith = Josh reaching potential

If we can bring in Melo we can ship Josh

just my 2 cents

[AHawks89]

Doesn't look like the Hornets are wanting to trade Chris Paul

[Swiftkick]

Ill take Collison & West for Horford & Marvin

PG Collison

SG Joe

SF Josh ..let him see if he can handle the 3

PF West

C Shaq

I can live with that

[GABALLA]

People People People, they are not going to trade josh smith. they are just testing the waters, that's it. no way they trade him and N.O. already said they are not giving up CP3.

Let me ask you guys a question if this where to happen who would guard guys like bosh, Lewis, garnett, and hedo? AL? OKAFO? HORFORD? Have you not seen what happens when you put all the the quicker PF? Game winner bosh, three pointer Lewis...Just look at the film

They are not that crazy to trade josh smith and run with a late 80s early 90s from line that is slow and immobile. two bangger doesn't work anymore people, why would they use josh and horford as reasons for Johnson to return if they where just going to trade smoove. IT AINT HAPPENING!!! Bibby, Crawford, Marvin and maybe even Zaza are on the block so stop with all this nonsense for one night please. you can't believe everything you read, if that was the case smoove would be in Memphis right now, Johnson would be going to Chicago/new york and lady gaga would have a wenis!!

Horford, smith, and Johnson are this team. Any speculation of a trade involving either of them is just speculation of possibilities but would never come to pass. every team tries to see what they can get for a key guy each off-season, this is nothing new.

I can't believe you "FANS" are harping for horford and okafor and shaq!!!! Are you HIGH, SERIOUSLY!!!??

...take okafor out and you got yourself a deal. CP3 will be in N.O. next year and Smoove will be in ATL.

People here, you fans, hear the name of a supposed marquee guy and you proceed to lose your minds and it's just comical!

http://stats.washingtonpost.com/nba/story.asp?i=20100623221122340000101&ref=hea&tm=&src=

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/13556098/hornets-ownership-discounts-chances-of-paul-trade/rss

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-draft-hornets

[gutz]

Ill take Collison & West for Horford & Marvin

PG Collison

SG Joe

SF Josh ..let him see if he can handle the 3

PF West

C Shaq

I can live with that

THis lineup is way better though...

Paul

Jamal

Joe

Horford

Shaq

[Johnnybravo4]

Don't forget I brought this up first!

[AHawks89]

The Hawks got pushed around by the Orlando Magic and swept out of the playoffs in the second round for the second consecutive year. There had been talk about trying to get bigger and more physical inside, rather than starting Al Horford at center.

With Shaq, they could start him at center, make Horford the four, Josh Smith the three, the newly re-signed Joe Johnson at the two then either Mike Bibby or a new player at the point. (Hawks fans are praying it's a new player.) This may not work well, though -- Josh Smith was good but far less productive in the limited time he played three. However, the limited time Horford played the four he was dominant.

Or, the Hawks could just trade Smith, something they have been exploring, according to the FanHouse report.

Is Shaq, along with new coach Larry Drew maybe trying something crazy like off-the-ball movement and not just isolation basketball, enough to put them over the top? Well, let's wait until LeBron, Bosh and Wade get around to making up their mind before we decide who wins the East next season.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/07/report-atlanta-hawks-make-two-year-offer-to-shaquille-oneal.php

[GameTime]

Why not just trade Horf who looks like he is gonna leave us anyway? Why does Smith always have to be traded? Smith's perimeter D is horrible I don't wanting him touching SF.

Trade Horf for a stud PG or SF or C/PF if Shaq isn't gonna start.

[Johnnybravo4]

I treat you like Spielberg, you'll get your azz kicked in the park.......

[TheNorthCydeRises]

If we are gonna run under Drew, Shaq will slow us down tremendously (if he is not in shape) He is not worth the MLE now IMO. I would love him with the vet's min. But he will sell tickets so you know the ASG. Cleveland looked like a better team without him IMO.

I think I rather get someone young with talent like a Josh Boone, Ian Mahinmi for really cheap and more defensive oreinted. But Shaq is the best offensive big we can get that is without question. But his D was lacking a bit last year. If he can get in Phoenix shape and focus a bit more on D I would love him to be here.

I am back and forth with this LOL.

Shaq's PER 36 NUMBERS

18.5 ppg

10.3 rebs

1.8 blks

2.3 asst

57%FG

50% FT

Shaq's defensive stats PER 48 MINUTES . . scroll to the "Production by Position" section

Opponent eFG% . . . 46.8%

Opponent iFG% . . . 47% ( iFG . . . inside FG% . . . Horford's opponent iFG% at center was 60% . . which is the main complaint about his defense )

Opponent ppg . . . 15.5

Opponent PER . . . 14.2

Those defensive stats would put Shaq in the top 5 defensive centers in the game, behind Howard . . and on par with what Bogut and Mehmet Okur did last year.

Playing FAST is not the key to Atlanta winning anything.

Playing DEFENSE is.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

And for the record . . if we do acquire Shaq, it's not like we can count on him playing more than 20 - 25 minutes a night, so there's still a need to keep Josh Smith in the mix here. If you can acquire a Chris Paul, then yeah, you HAVE to make that trade. But if you can't, then keep Smoove around. Definitely don't trade him in a deal for Okafor, if Paul isn't in that deal as well.

[Johnnybravo4]

David Aldridge just said that the Hawks have NO intention of EVER moving Horford to PF. They think that there is no reason to. So basically we would be using Shaq to fill Joe Smith's role....who ironically was the predecessor to Shaq in Cleveland.

[Duzit]

what if we traded Smoove, Marvin, and a 1st to Denver for Carmelo and picked up Shaq as well? Then we'd have:

Teague/Bibby

Joe/Jamal

Carmelo/filler (Travis Outlaw maybe?)

Horford/filler

Shaq/ZaZa