Leon Smith possibly out of Atlanta

[JTFan31]

ESPN report: The Hawks may have seen the last of F-C Leon Smith, the Journal Constitution reported July 14. The young center abruptly left the team and returned to his home in Chicago last week "to deal with personal issues," general manager Pete Babcock said. Smith has not worked out with the squad in several weeks, Babcock added, and would not be in condition to play in the summer league.

Looks like Leon wont be a Hawk. It's kind of sad to see all that talent go to waste. The kid has immensable talent, but it looks like he can't put the past away just yet. Will the Hawks be looking for another big man now? or will that open the door maybe for someone like Udonis Haslem?

Also on the Hawks website of ESPN, it also states that the Hawks will have their eyes on Dion during the Shaw Summer League, and possibly use him for trade bait. Jay Walker you got some insight on this on maybe using Dion as trade bait?

I figured that Dion will be used for trade bait and package him with maybe another player or 2 from our present squad.

[jaywalker72]

We have been talking since the season ended about Pete's quest for "another 10 million dollar player"....

To accomplish this, he will have to package at least two players together to send out....one, being a high paid veteran, likely Toni Kukoc.

The other will have to be a younger player who;

a. fills the salary requirements (between 1 and 2 million)

b. is attractive enough to be sweetener in a deal.

Dion is due around 1.5 million this year, and is a restricted free agent next year.

That, combined with his ability to score, and the fact that he is only 23, would make for a tasty sweetener to a deal.

[JTFan31]

In honesty I dont mind to see Dion go.. With the development of DJ and then having Ira coming off the bench or even starting is pretty good, but we do need maybe another swing player, if Kukoc and Dion are traded. So if we do make that trade sending Toni and Dion, we need to bring in a pretty damn good swing player.

Does anyone know if Latrell is available, because I think a deal like Toni & Dion for Latrell wouldnt look so bad. New york gets 2 scorers, one young one and one with playoff experience and we get the shooting guard with tenadious defense that we desperately seek and move DJ to the 3.

Thoughts?

[DJ_Money]

I'm actually kind of surprised we haven't heard anything about a Spree for Nazr trade.

Maybe something like Nazr/Hendu/CC for Spree/Postell, which works in the Trade Checker.

We would be left horribly thin at the PF/C positions, though. I doubt Hanno and Haslem would be enough, even if we did sign both of them.

With Leon bascially gone, it's obvious that any team we trade Nazr to will have to send us a BU C in return.

[Blunt91]

I don't really want Spree with us mainly because he is getting old. What is he about 32 or 33years old? He would only be a short term solution for us, any deal would not only have to help us now,but have future benefits as well.

[coachx]

The Hawks are will probably keep a close eye on Cnristofferson (7'4'') in the summer league. His offensive game was limited at Oregon but his size and presence is unteachable. He looks like John Koncack but 3'' taller. If plays well in Boston Nazr may be traded but they would have to be real high on someone to be a steady bench C.

[jaywalker72]

He suffered an injured ankle and was removed from the summer roster...

[JTFan31]

See my concern of trading Nazr is now even greater. Leon wont probably be brought back and we will be very skinny at the center position and at big men if we trade Nazr. Honestly I rather keep Nazr than trade him for someone say like Mike Miller. With the development of DJ, we dont someone say like Mike Miller, I much rather have the size where there is a lack of than another swing man. The Cristofferson dude was big, real big and maybe Atlanta thought that they could use him as a backup, but I am very still very skeptical about Theo.......How about if he does goes down again? At least we have Nazr and we all know what he can do and what to do expect from him......without quality big men we definitely wont make the playoffs. We need big bodies and with Theo and Nazr and good enough. Imagine without both fo them, we will another losing season.

[hds428]

Too bad for the kid, and too bad for the Hawks. Leon would've given us alot of flexibility, and now since word is that he being hampered by his own self, trading Nazr is almost certianly off the table, and with him our most tradeable commodity. Toni and Dion could be packaged up for something, but what, is the question. I doubt we could get a Mike Miller or James Posey type for those two.

[Hawksfreak]

Yes Dion will show what he is worth in the SSPL. That will help him get traded.

[Guest]

I still would trade Mike Miler for Nazr and look for another

backup center.We need a 3rd scorer and Dermarr is not

proven.We need a proven 3rd option right now.