Tell me your best rumor........

[Hawkmoor]

This squad IS a couple of players away, problem is,  it might as well be 5 players away because the Hawks dont have the ability or drive to get those two players.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Hawkmoor

[Thomas]

2 hours ago, Dejay said:

You GD right about that, Vol. The days of them bringing in some scrub from the D-League, a has been from 2005, or Eurotrash player who averaged 8/3 in Spain jumped the shark with me a long time ago. You 'tweak' when your team just finished winning 62 games and lost in the ECFs or Finals in a six or seven-game series that could've gone either way. Getting carpet-bombed both times against the same team requires just a little bit more than that. Just me... 

Not disagreeing on the anti tweaking philosophy because it would feel good to make a substantial move up in the offseason  but do want to say the carpet bombing was in one game in this year's playoff series against the Cavs. It wasn't even the rebounds that got us except in one game. We could not hit a shot from anywhere on the floor in the last two minutes of any of those games. Call a sweep a sweep and I understand but also I understand we were in that series and not demolished or carpet bombed four quarters in four games. Other than acquiring Durant what would be much more than a tweak that is remotely feasible. This Gallinari stuff some folks like is for an injury prone one trick pony for an example. Durant himself is not so feasible for most teams because he is on one of the best four playoff teams in the NBA right now and they will pay him.       

[Thomas]

Having trouble letting it go because I would absolutely go splat if Durant was a Hawk but this stuff about his brand being a bigger importance to him than the team where he made the NBA finals fairly recently and fought the Warriors this year in the WCF doesn't mean Atlanta could likely be his desired destination. Maybe Hong Kong or Tokyo based on that theory about his brand. He's already wealthier than most kings of smaller countries around the world.   

[Diesel]

The powerful rumors now are:

1.  Durant to GS.

2.  Dirk to GS. 

Either of those happen and it's Barnes Bye Bye... which I suspect is the case anyway. 

 

[Twinblade]

3 hours ago, Thomas said:

Having trouble letting it go because I would absolutely go splat if Durant was a Hawk but this stuff about his brand being a bigger importance to him than the team where he made the NBA finals fairly recently and fought the Warriors this year in the WCF doesn't mean Atlanta could likely be his desired destination. Maybe Hong Kong or Tokyo based on that theory about his brand. He's already wealthier than most kings of smaller countries around the world.   

I thought Atlanta was a big city, but apparently it's not good enough for the players of nba.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Twinblade

[benhillboy]

1 hour ago, Twinblade said:

I thought Atlanta was a big city, but apparently it's not good enough for the players of nba.

NBA players don't realize that Atlanta is second in terms of quality of city life only to cities like Chicago, LA, Washington, and maybe on par with Boston and Philly.  But those cities' media scrutinization are all twice as tough as Atlanta's, if not more.  

I think ESPN's total lack of coverage of the city hurts it's perception of visibility for players.  No AJC writers who represent the city, no bloggers, nothing.  F$@kin Cleveland has not one but two beat writers who appear regularly on Sportscenter.  Cleveland.  Bomani Jones has strong ties to Atlanta but has no allegiance whatsoever to its  teams.

[cam1218]

1 hour ago, benhillboy said:

NBA players don't realize that Atlanta is second in terms of quality of city life only to cities like Chicago, LA, Washington, and maybe on par with Boston and Philly.  But those cities' media scrutinization are all twice as tough as Atlanta's, if not more.  

I think ESPN's total lack of coverage of the city hurts it's perception of visibility for players.  No AJC writers who represent the city, no bloggers, nothing.  F$@kin Cleveland has not one but two beat writers who appear regularly on Sportscenter.  Cleveland.  Bomani Jones has strong ties to Atlanta but has no allegiance whatsoever to its  teams.

The players make so much money that they can't understand it. Those of us who know Atlanta understand it well because we see so many people from these big market cities wind up moving to...Atlanta. 

The city has grown a lot, even since our playoff streak started and still continues to grow. With us becoming the eastern Hollywood I think somebody will eventually give us "Atlanta--hell why not."

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Diesel said:

The powerful rumors now are:

1.  Durant to GS.

2.  Dirk to GS. 

Either of those happen and it's Barnes Bye Bye... which I suspect is the case anyway. 

 

1. Nope

2. Nope

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Hawks are looking to resign Josh Smith. When confronted with this rumor, Smith replied, "I've always lived by the personal motto 'You miss 100% of the shots you don't take'. This is another shot I have to take... Another brick at the wall."

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hawkmoor]

12 hours ago, benhillboy said:

NBA players don't realize that Atlanta is second in terms of quality of city life only to cities like Chicago, LA, Washington, and maybe on par with Boston and Philly.  But those cities' media scrutinization are all twice as tough as Atlanta's, if not more.  

I think ESPN's total lack of coverage of the city hurts it's perception of visibility for players.  No AJC writers who represent the city, no bloggers, nothing.  F$@kin Cleveland has not one but two beat writers who appear regularly on Sportscenter.  Cleveland.  Bomani Jones has strong ties to Atlanta but has no allegiance whatsoever to its  teams.

They know about Atlanta.   Thats not the issue.  Atlanta has a better quality of life than every city you mentioned.  The issue is the perception of the Hawks organization.  More ex and current athletes live in Atlanta than any other city.  Athletes KNOW Atlanta is the place to be.  Heck, its Shaq's main home and you know they look up to Shaq.  If the Hawks organization ever really got serious and the national media gets behind them, they would come. Other than that, they are satisfied with playing elsewhere and either visiting Atlanta during the off season or having a home in Atlanta.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/atlanta-a-favored-spot-for-athletes-to-call-home-1/nQKDp/

Atlanta’s eclectic mix of high-end real estate, business opportunities, climate and a sizzling nightlife continues to be a magnet that attracts professional athletes.

In late 2008, Julius “Dr. J” Erving purchased the Heritage Golf Course in Norcross and is reportedly looking for a home in the area.

When Jerome “The Bus” Bettis decided to retire, the native of Detroit made a decision to park the Bus in north Fulton.

“I was attracted to Atlanta, even when I was in college,” said Tyrone Hill, a former NBA player who lived here before joining the Atlanta Hawks staff as an assistant coach. “We [Xavier] played Michigan in the NCAA tournament [in 1989]. We lost and went out to dinner, and we got a chance to hang out a little bit. I fell in love with the city then.”

Former and current NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB players call the metro area home, some at least for part of the year.

From current Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall to former NBA star Ralph Sampson.

The real estate market is a major attraction.

“You can buy a good $800,000 house, compared to living in California or L.A., and get a nice piece of property,” said Hill, a native of Cincinnati and a former All-Star who played 14 years in the NBA. “Instead of paying $3 [million] or $4 million, you can pay $800,000 and get a real nice house here. That’s the most important thing that guys look at, the real estate, the weather, and we’ve got some great restaurants.”

There is also a group of athletes — such as Buffalo’s Terrell Owens — who have secondary homes in the area. Owens, who drops by Hawks and Georgia Tech basketball games, has a house off Panola Road. He’s spending more time this offseason, however, at his residence in Miami.

“Atlanta tends to be a spot where a lot of athletes like to have a second home in, like South Beach [Miami],” said Lisa Robinson, the founder and principal broker of the Robinson Realty Group, who has sold homes to several current and former pro athletes. “So they may have a condo or a smaller place here because they frequent this area.”

Just about every sector of the metro area — from Alpharetta to Jonesboro — has some current or retired pro athlete residing there.

“The Falcons like to stay closer to the facility where they have to go and work out,” Robinson said. “The Hawks like to stay more intown because they have to get in and out of Philips for practice regularly. I know a few of the new Braves have purchased intown units in the W downtown.

“The new, sexy, intown living with full amenities is appealing to guys who travel a lot because they get the benefit of full hotel and concierge services and a great intown place. That’s probably the newest appealing thing that we have in the marketplace.”

The Atlanta chapter of the NFL Players Association currently has about 425 dues-paying members, said chapter President Dewey McClain, who played for the Falcons from 1976-80 and never left.

“When we have a meeting, 20 to 25 teams are represented,” McClain said. “When they have a meeting in Green Bay, I’m sure 98 percent of them played for Green Bay.”

The NFL Players Association doesn’t keep close tabs on where many players retire because many do not become members of the NFLPA Retired Players Association. But some of its larger chapters include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix.

“We average 120-plus members in each of those chapters, so I would imagine that many more players are there,” Qiana Thomas, of the NFLPA Retired Players Association, wrote in an e-mail to the AJC.

Several players, such as Bettis, are transplanted Northerners who enjoy the climate.

“If you want to live 20 to 30 minutes outside of the city, then that’s not too far to drive on it,” McClain said. “Our young guys say the nightlife is great. Hartsfield-Jackson is one of the best airports in the world. If you have to fly out of town for business, it’s not a major hassle.”

Bettis had to fly to Lake Tahoe to play in a celebrity golf outing in July.

Erving, who changed Heritage’s name to Julius Erving’s Celebrity Golf Club International, is usually at the course three or four times a week and attends Cascade United Methodist Church in southwest Atlanta.

Tim Ecclestone, who played for the Atlanta Flames, turned down the chance to be an NHL coach to stay in the metro area. The native of Toronto has called Atlanta home since 1974.

“Atlanta is a great city even today, but back in those days there was no traffic to speak of,” said Ecclestone, who has owned T.J.’s Sports Bar and Grill in Alpharetta since 1990. “You could get around anywhere you wanted to go. The climate is great. Our kids loved it here. You’ve got everything to offer here.”

The golf courses in the area were also an attraction for him.

“I just fell in love with the climate down here, the lifestyle and everything else,” Ecclestone said. “I enjoy golf, so I’ve been able to play golf all over the place. Evel Knievel was a great friend of mine, and Evel and I used to play all the time.”

A native of Washington, Jarrett Jack moved to Atlanta to play basketball at Georgia Tech. He made a promise to his mother that if he left school to turn pro he would return to Tech to finish his business degree, which he’s working on this summer.

He lives here in the offseason. He just signed a multi-year deal with the Toronto Raptors but played last season with Indiana after spending three seasons with Portland.

“I love everything about the city,” said Jack, who helped guide the Yellow Jackets to the 2004 NCAA title game. “It isn’t too fast or too slow, but most of all it has its own identity.”

Former major league baseball player and Atlanta native Marquis Grissom has worked as an ambassador for the metro area. He persuaded former major-leaguer Delino DeShields to move to the area during their playing days.

The two, who are now coaches, are still neighbors in Fayette County.

Dorsey Levens, a native of Syracuse, N.Y., started his collegiate career with Bettis at Notre Dame. He ended up transferring to Georgia Tech before going on to an 11-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.

“When I played in Green Bay ... it just made since to have an offseason spot,” Levens said.

Levens’ old offseason spot was a mini-mansion in southwest Atlanta with a basketball halfcourt in the backyard.

Now, he resides in Buckhead and works as an NFL and ACC football expert for Comcast. He’s also set to start doing some play-by-play for Georgia Tech games on Comcast.

“For me, Atlanta is just a nice city,” Levens said. “The weather is good. There are a million restaurants. There is always something coming through here, whether it is a concert, a play or a live band at a jazz club. It’s the best of both worlds.

Some of Levens’ favorite spots are Prime restaurant at Lenox Square, Twists, Houston’s in Buckhead and the Cheesecake Factory.

“You can go out every night if you want to, or you can stay home and go out occasionally,” he said. “Either way, Atlanta is perfect for that.”

Edited June 22, 2016 by Hawkmoor

[Diesel]

 

Kevin Love on the move.

Basically sighting that KLove will opt out to seek a place where he can be the man again.

Would you swap Millsap for KLove?

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Diesel said:

 

Kevin Love on the move.

Basically sighting that KLove will opt out to seek a place where he can be the man again.

Would you swap Millsap for KLove?

He's not going anywhere.

[AHF]

1 minute ago, Spud2Nique said:

He's not going anywhere.

If he doesn't opt out, he may be shipped out.  Cleveland can come up with better uses for that salary slot than Love.  He doesn't mesh well with LeBron.

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, AHF said:

If he doesn't opt out, he may be shipped out.  Cleveland can come up with better uses for that salary slot than Love.  He doesn't mesh well with LeBron.

I guess it's remotely possible but I just don't see them getting dollar for dollar value for Love. Also, they just won the ring. Usually, not always but usually teams that win the championship don't mess with the core. Just my opinion but I guess we will see.

[AHF]

Just now, Spud2Nique said:

I guess it's remotely possible but I just don't see them getting dollar for dollar value for Love. Also, they just won the ring. Usually, not always but usually teams that win the championship don't mess with the core. Just my opinion but I guess we will see.

I think they may view Tristan as more core than Love.

[benhillboy]

Magic, Pistons, and Lakers interested in Al per ESPN.  The Pistons are a great fit, but they better have armed guards around before they ask Morris to move to the bench.  I don't like Al next to Vucevic (too little toughness) nor Randle (too little size).

Apparently there's a monumental drop off at the 3rd pick. Boston couldn't unload it for Parker or Middleton, let alone Butler or Hayward. They better pick Dunn, Lil Thomas ain't getting nothing done.

[Sothron]

I would trade Millsap for Love but that's tough

[Sothron]

Apparently Lebron is telling ppl he's staying in Cleveland so there goes that Lebron to LA rumors. I would also think that means Love stays and they try to bring back everyone.

[Jody23]

9 minutes ago, Sothron said:

I would trade Millsap for Love but that's tough

It would be tough, but I would also.  Love is younger, a better shooter and a much better player than what we've seen in Cleveland.  His contract will probably be cheaper in comparison to the max deal Millsap will be commanding next offseason.

[Hawkmoor]

1 hour ago, benhillboy said:

Magic, Pistons, and Lakers interested in Al per ESPN.  The Pistons are a great fit, but they better have armed guards around before they ask Morris to move to the bench.  I don't like Al next to Vucevic (too little toughness) nor Randle (too little size).

Apparently there's a monumental drop off at the 3rd pick. Boston couldn't unload it for Parker or Middleton, let alone Butler or Hayward. They better pick Dunn, Lil Thomas ain't getting nothing done.

Boston gonna draft either Hield or Jaylen Brown at 3 unless they juice their offer for Middleton or Butler.