Josh Smith Rumors: Wednesday

Josh Smith appears to be the big-name player most likely to be moved before tomorrow's trade deadline, and Tuesday brought plenty of updates and rumors on his potential destination. We rounded up those updates right here, and we'll track today's news here, with any new items added to the top of the page throughout the day:

• "Source after source" informs HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy that Smith will be dealt by the deadline (Twitter link).
• With the Suns apparently standing pat despite a report classifying them as the frontrunner for Smith, it looks like the Bucks are in the lead for Atlanta's athletic power forward, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. The Bucks are willing to risk losing Smith in free agency, but chances are strong that he'll re-up in Milwaukee for the right price, according to Deveney. Still, Milwaukee won't include John Henson or Larry Sanders in any deal for Smith.
• Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio believes the Nets are the frontrunners, with Milwaukee a darkhorse (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

• Smith is open to playing with the Bucks even if Monta Ellis is not around, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link).
• Despite a report previously stating that the Nets are “solely focused” on Smith, a league source says that is definitely not the case, according to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld.
• The Suns, Bucks, and Nets are currently viewed as the three most likely destinations for Smith, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
• A source tells Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that it's not inconceivable the Hawks hang on to Smith through the deadline. With a huge amount of cap space available this summer, Atlanta could still re-sign the forward to a reasonable contract if another club doesn't make him the max offer he's seeking.

• Ideally, if they trade Smith in the next 24 hours, the Hawks would like to acquire a young center, expiring contracts, and young players or draft picks.
• Amick and Zillgitt also report that the Nets' current offer for Smith is MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, and a first-round pick. Brooklyn is unwilling to include a second first-rounder at the moment.
• The Wizards' interest in Smith has all but disappeared, as Washington isn't willing to give up any of the players Atlanta is seeking for the forward, according to Amick and Zillgitt.
• Although the Bucks would like to acquire Smith without giving up Monta Ellis, the Hawks are targeting Ellis along with at least one expiring contract in their talks with Milwaukee, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
• The Bucks, Wizards, and Nets have been the most diligent in pursuing Smith, sources tells TNT's David Aldridge (Twitter link).
• Smith likes the idea of playing with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, so the Bucks are trying to find a way to acquire the Hawks forward without giving up either of their backcourt starters, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. Even if the Bucks can somehow pull that off, it'd be an awfully risky move, considering all three of those players are potential free agents.
• In another tweet, Broussard wonders if the Celtics could land Smith without moving Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce, noting that Jeff Green would be a good fit in Atlanta. Broussard adds that rival GMs insist Rajon Rondo is available, though I would assume that's a separate thought, rather than a suggestion that Rondo would be part of an offer for Smith.

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