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[WraithSentinel]

http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/ha...05/02hawks.html

Finally, a free agent picks Hawks

By SEKOU SMITH

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/02/05

The Hawks entered this summer armed with more than $24 million in salary cap space to pursue free agents, a similar figure to what they had the summer before.

But while they swung and missed in the summer of 2004, they will more than make up for it this time around.

With the NBA-wide moratorium on signing free agents lifted Tuesday, the Hawks are poised to land Phoenix restricted free-agent guard Joe Johnson in a sign-and-trade deal for Boris Diaw and two future lottery-protected first-round draft picks.

The Johnson deal, for five years and an estimated $70 million, marks the Hawks' first significant free-agent acquisition under the new ownership group while also putting a dent in the long-held belief that no free agents could be wooed to play for the struggling franchise.

The Hawks have also extended an offer sheet to Milwaukee reserve center Zaza Pachulia, another restricted free agent. The offer sheet extended to Pachulia, a four-year, $4 million deal, lacks the headline power of the Johnson deal but could clear up issues at a position just as critical and fits into the cap-conscious approach that general manager Billy Knight insists he'll maintain.

"I think these moves we've made will help us because we're bringing in guys that fit now with our young core and they fit for the future," Knight said. "We were in on those guys last summer, Kenyon Martin, Carlos Boozer and Erick Dampier. We didn't do those deals because we felt it was best not to do it. We didn't spend the money because we didn't think we needed to.

"This summer comes along and everybody does a lot of talking, and there's always a lot of yapping going on from all angles, from people that know and people that don't know. I read it all and I laugh at that. I just want to do a deal, get it done, and I don't care about everybody knowing about it. I want to do what I think is the best thing to do, talk to my ownership, and move on."

The decision to go after Johnson was easy, given his versatility, age (24) and desire to play for the Hawks.

Suns general manager Bryan Colangelo told reporters in Phoenix that he was prepared to match the offer until Johnson made it clear that he wasn't interested in returning.

With Johnson aboard as the starting point guard, center is the only position with a major question mark for the Hawks, who waived last season's starter, Obinna Ekezie, and backup Peja Drobjnak last month.

Six-year veteran Jason Collier remains on the roster.

The Bucks have seven days to match the offer to Pachulia, who averaged 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 19 minutes per game last season.

Just 21 years old, Pachulia, 6 feet 11 and 265 pounds, fits the blue-collar profile Knight wants to add at the position, though he's not nearly the caliber of athlete of Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler or Samuel Dalembert, this summer's most high-profile young centers.

EVEN SWAP?

What about the draft picks the Hawks will give up to acquire Joe Johnson? The picks are lottery-protected, so unless the Hawks make the playoffs — an extreme long shot even with Johnson in the fold — they'll have given away nothing but future picks, much like the one they received in the trade-deadline deal in February that sent Antoine Walker to Boston.

Having their own pick protected through the top three draft spots in 2007 keeps alive the Hawks' ping-pong ball chance at the most promising crop of teenage post players in years — a group headlined by Indianapolis 7-footer Greg Oden, 6-10 Nashville native Brandan Wright and 6-10 German Tim Ohlbrecht.

[flava]

thanks for the post. I still think we should go after another C - a 'potential' guy like steven hunter. the two could platoon until one establishes himself.

flava

[NickJYD]

Yeah, I wish Sekou had asked Billy if he was done after Zaza and Joe or if there were more moves to come.

[WraithSentinel]

Does BK really think the Bucks will not match that offer. I heard from Bucks fans the Bucks have been trying to re-sign him all offseason. They plan on him being their PF. As for other Centers to go after. There is always Diop. Worth the gamble on a cheap contract.

[KB21]

The Bucks can match, but only up to the MLE. It remains to be seen what contract the Hawks have offered Zaza. If they have offered him a contract, I would think they have offered one Milwaukee can't match.

[NickJYD]

Sekou says is 4 years 4 million which I take to mean 4 years 16. Mil can match that from what I understand.

Dont forget, we apprently have an offer out to Hunter as well.

[KB21]

I think BK has wisely decided to not take a chance on Curry as well.

[Admin]

 Quote: 

"This summer comes along and everybody does a lot of talking, and there's always a lot of yapping going on from all angles, from people that know and people that don't know. I read it all and I laugh at that. I just want to do a deal, get it done, and I don't care about everybody knowing about it. I want to do what I think is the best thing to do, talk to my ownership, and move on."

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

Having their own pick protected through the top

three

draft spots in 2007 keeps alive the Hawks' ping-pong ball chance at the most promising crop of teenage post players in years

---

That's not "lottery protected"! That's top 3 protected. While I would like to think that we won't be in the lottery, if this is true then the deal is bad and Babcock-esque.

We may not be out of the lottery then and all our young hopes may not pan out, but what kind of "protection" is protecting a pick top 3? 2007 will have many great prospects. In fact, not protecting the 2006th pick might be better than top 3 protecting the 2007 pick. This is news to me, bad news. If we have the 4th through 13th picks in 2007 we will miss out on too much. We're giving up another 1st rder and Diaw. If true this is too much to risk, especially to a team with little leverage after JJ's publicly stated desire to play here and for a player that we are slightly overpaying for, who might not make it as a majority time Pg.

W

[Inside_Man]

Chill Walt.

We're going to the playoffs in '07.

[Plainview1981]

I would hope the Hawks are in the playoff race by

2007.

[Guest Walter]

An injury here, a lack of player development there and we have (actually PHEONIX has) say the fifth most lottery balls. Actually, with the youth we have, coming from a 13 win team, one with even less in the form of a big man, I put our playoff chances at 50%/50% at best next year. This is a bad deal. You do not get casual with your first rounders during a 13 win year. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Unless the pick is protected significantly better than reported or unless we can send any 1st rder allowing us to make a deal for one, this is a BAD deal!

W

[Diesel]

I think BK is betting on Maturity.

What good is having Marvin Williams and Smoove and Chillz if you can't expect them to be good enough to get out of the lottery by 2007??

[Plainview1981]

Billy doesn't lack for confidence and he is showing

his confidence.... Could it be a misprint though? I

would hope both picks aren't just protected up to

the 3rd pick. If so, if JJ bombs it could be a Lo

like deal. Didn't the Hawks give up two loto picks

for him?

[Guest Walter]

Really, the whole point of protecting it is hedging your bets. Don't be loose with picks when you are a 13 win team PERIOD!!!

W

[Packfill]

I agree with Diesel. If the Hawks are not good enough to make a playoff run a year from now that BK won't be around to defend the loss of those picks in the 2007 draft. At that point, Childress and Smith are in year 3 and Marvin in year two, JJ has either made it as a point guard or not.

[RAHMOR]

Quote:

---

especially to a team with little leverage after JJ's publicly stated desire to play here and for a player that we are slightly overpaying for,

---

Teams today are not willing to give up big pieces of their team without compensation. Phoenix would have matched and simply made Joe Johnson play. They had as much leverage as us in the fact that we have to improve out image somehow. With our image of attractin FA, how would it have looked if the lowly hawks could not get a FA that said he wanted to play for the hawks and 70 million dollars. Sound like leverage on the part of Phoenix if you ask me.

[Admin]

and then top 3 protected in 2007. With another pick and some FA signings next year I would hope that we dont need another pick in 2007. I would have liked some stronger protection, but I am fully expecting us to be in the playoffs in 2007 so I am not going to worry too much about it. If we are bad again in 2007 then we have an issue to deal with, but until then I am going to remain optimistic about it.

[Gray Mule]

Apparently, they are lottery protected for the next

lottery and then thru the top three in 2007. We

didn't know about the protection change in 2007, but

hopefully Hawks will be out of the lottery by then

anyway.

To do that, we have this upcoming season to improve,

then, if we are lottery bound, we get our pick next

year. ANOTHER year of playing. If Hawks are not out

of the lottery by then, they should be late lottery

pickers, no where near the top.

Walter, at first, I was shocked by this. But, upon

thinking about it, it's not as bad as you think at first.

If Hawks are still stuck deep in the lottery, say 4th

thru 6th in two years, then that means that there is

trouble in Atlanta: Major injuries to some of our young

players - - They just didn't mature and improve the way

we thought that they would in the summer of 2005 - - -

The coach and his staff never improved - - - Trades

and free agent signings didn't work out - -

So many things could go wrong. Some we can't imagine,

{ Remember what happened to Johnson?} and some that we

hope won't happen.

Having said all that, we hope and expect things to go

right for the Hawks. We expect to be in the playoffs

when the 2007 draft comes around. If that is true,

then it doesn't make any difference and if we aren't,

draft picks in the lottery then will be of little

benefit to us any way.

I'm optimistic. I don't believe it will really matter

to us whether they are procted or not in 2007.

GO HAWKS !!!!!

[Diesel]

That's like saying that you should go all-in before the flop with 2 Jacks...

It's a good hand, but you don't bet all your chips on that hand unless you're really low on chips.

We have good players and young players worth betting on, but anything can happen so having them top 3 protected is just in case. Just in case JJ gets hurt and we lose 71 games in 2006-2007... You want lottery protection.

Moreover, I am the first to admit that we gave up a lot for JJ... It definitely speaks to our desparation.. But I don't regret us getting him... So does that mean I'd do it over? Yes!