It appears Josh Smith will remain an Atlanta Hawk for at least the rest of this season, if not the calendar year. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reports that Smith's camp was told last week by the team that a trade by March 15th is unlikely, but the situation could be seriously revisited around the draft. Kyler's report supports Friday's story by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, which suggested the Hawks aren't presently looking to trade Smith, despite his desire to be moved.
The Hawks have talked to other teams about Smith, but "nothing seems real or imminent," Kyler adds. For his part, Smith isn't letting the trade rumors affect his play — his 28 points, three steals, and three blocks last night led Atlanta to a victory in Sacramento.
"I'm here. I have one more left on my deal," Smith said when asked about remaining in Atlanta long-term. "We have to see what happens. I just have to keep playing the way I'm capable of playing and keep doing what I'm doing and not worry about any outside distractions."