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Smith, Hawks To Discuss Future This Week

January 27th, 2013 at 7:28pm CST by Alex Lee

There has been no shortage of updates on the Josh Smith situation of late, as just yesterday we learned that Smith expects a max deal.  Earlier this week, Hoops Rumors' Luke Adams asked readers whether the Hawks will trade Smith and in more than 800 votes, it is almost exactly split down the middle. 

Fortunately, as Chris Broussard tweets, it looks like we may be able to find out more at some point this week.  Broussard says that, according to sources, Smith's representatives will speak with Hawks GM Danny Ferry this week about Smith's future in Atlanta.  This situation promises to be a hot topic leading up to the trade deadline, as Smith will surely be one of the more high profile players to be dealt in season in recent memory if it happens.

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Josh Smith Wants Max Deal

January 26th, 2013 at 10:13am CST by Sean Highkin

Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he has made it clear that he wants to be paid like a superstar. Smith tells Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he believes himself worthy of a five-year, $94MM max contract:

“I feel like I’m a max player,” Smith said Friday. “I feel I bring a lot to the table. I have a lot of versatility. For what I do and what I give this ball club, I feel like I’m worth it.”

Smith adds that he does not believe the Hawks should be dissuaded from giving him a max contract by the fate of the last player they maxed out, Joe Johnson, whose contract became such an albatross that they dealt him to the Brooklyn Nets this past summer.

“There shouldn’t be any hesitation. I’m Josh Smith, I’m not anybody else. I ‘m not Michael Jordan, I’m not LeBron James, I’m not Brook Lopez. I’m Josh Smith. You can’t look at what might’ve happened with another person. Let’s say Joe. You can’t say, ‘I’m skeptical of giving another person that’ because of whatever they feel like happened."

In a recent article examining Smith's value, Zach Lowe of Grantland pointed out that, as a nine-year veteran, it may be smarter for Smith to sign a one-year deal with the Hawks and qualify for the higher maximum amount that 10-year veterans may receive. Lowe writes that as a 10-year veteran, Smith's next contract could pay him as much as $105MM over five seasons.

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Poll: Will The Hawks Trade Josh Smith?

January 21st, 2013 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Smith has been the subject of off-and-on trade rumors for years, but even as the Hawks' roster changes around him, Smith has remained a fixture in Atlanta. His contract is finally set to expire this summer though, and with a month remaining until the trade deadline, it's not entirely clear what the veteran forward's future holds.

For most of this season, Smith expressed satisfaction with new general manager Danny Ferry and the Hawks' direction. However, a recent slide by the team has frustrated the 27-year-old, something agent Wallace Prather conveyed to Ferry last week. Neither Smith nor his agent requested a trade, and a weekend report suggested that the team was still committed to the longtime Hawk, but Smith's frustration and a one-game suspension doled out by the club seemed to bring some of those old issues back to the surface.

Zach Lowe tackles the possibility of the Hawks trading Smith in his latest piece for Grantland, noting that there are a number of factors in play. Potential suitors could be reluctant to give up much of value for a player on an expiring contract, and the Hawks may not want to part with Smith if they intend to pursue Dwight Howard this summer, since the two are good friends. Nonetheless, Lowe sees a few teams as real candidates to be trade partners if Atlanta explores deals over the next few weeks. The Rockets, Mavericks, Suns, and Nuggets top Lowe's list.

So what do you think? Is this the year we finally see Smith on the move, or will the Hawks hang on to him, hoping to re-sign him to a long-term contract this summer?

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Aldridge On Hawks, Smith, Batum, LeBron

January 21st, 2013 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

NBA.com's David Aldridge has his new weekly column up, and as usual, it's packed full of interesting notes, quotes, and stories. Let's take a look at some highlights….

  • The Hawks' Larry Drew was the NBA's Coach of the Month in December, but as we saw with Avery Johnson, that doesn't always guarantee job security.  The Hawks have dropped eight of their last ten and there has been speculation around the league that GM Danny Ferry is waiting for the end of the season to remove Drew and hire Mike Brown.  For his part, Ferry says that he has enjoyed working with Drew and plans to discuss his future with him after the season. 
  • Ferry acknowledged that he made decisions this summer with the idea of freeing up cap space down the line.  It was a plan that he knew wouldn't yield a world-beating Hawks team in 2012/13.  "I had no preconceived notions," Ferry said. "We were in a situation where we had six guys back and we were going to have to fill the roster with six guys to stay under the tax. Ownership gave me permission to go over the tax, but I didn't think there was anything we were going to be able to do to be a contender even over the tax."
  • Prior to his suspension, Josh Smith told Aldridge that he had a great deal of confidence in the Hawks' core and believed that they could be a couple pieces away from contending.
  • Nicolas Batum's says that his lucrative new deal hasn't put pressure on him and has instead left him feeling liberated.  The forward is averaging 16.8 PPG with 5.9 RPG per game this season which are both career highs.
  • There has been some buzz about a possible return to the Cavaliers for LeBron James in 2014, but Aldridge believes that Cleveland will still be more than two years from contending with a core including Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.
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Hawks Remain Committed To Josh Smith

January 19th, 2013 at 1:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

For most of the season, it seemed like the Hawks and Josh Smith were satisfied with their partnership, with the team not looking to trade the eighth-year veteran and Smith strongly considering re-signing next summer with the only NBA club he's ever played for. When the Hawks issued their athletic forward a one-game suspension this week for "conduct detrimental to the team," it seemed to signal a change, as Smith's agent expressed his client's frustrations in Atlanta and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported the team had engaged in trade talks about Smith. Now, Steve Kyler hears that the Hawks are turning away those calls, and are instead looking to build around Smith (Twitter links).

Kyler also tweets that they've held that stance "this week," which could indicate their rumored participation in trade talks was limited to fielding offers and issuing rejections. Kyler notes that the Hawks may decide to entertain a trade for Smith closer to the deadline, but appear more focused on bringing in someone to help distinguish themselves in the tightly bunched upper half of the Eastern Conference (Twitter link). The HoopsWorld scribe isn't sure that the Hawks can accomplish that, and I think it might come down to whether GM Danny Ferry is willing to bite into the ample cap room the team is set to have in the summer. With only about $18.5MM in guaranteed salary on the books for next year, Atlanta could probably take on another moderately-priced multi-year contract without significantly compromising their flexibility.

The Rockets would have interest in Smith if he's available, Kyler tweets, and Berger identified them as one of the teams that would appeal to the 6'9" soon-to-be free agent. It might be difficult for them to get a deal done with Atlanta, though, since they don't have many of the expiring contracts the Hawks would probably want. The Rockets already owe a protected first-round pick to the Hawks that Atlanta acquired via the Nets in the Joe Johnson trade. 

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Odds & Ends: Raptors, Grizzlies, Mavs, Bynum

January 18th, 2013 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

As we look forward to an evening slate that includes a pair of contests between Eastern Conference contenders (Hawks/Nets and Bulls/Celtics), let's check in on a few odds and ends from around the NBA….

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Wolves Rumors: Williams, Gay, Roy, Cunningham

January 18th, 2013 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported yesterday that the Timberwolves are "heavily" shopping Derrick Williams, 2011's second overall pick. In his latest Scoops column, Wolfson shares a few more details on the T-Wolves' trade talks, plus a handful more Wolves-related notes. Let's dive in and round up the highlights….

  • Within the last week, president David Kahn has transitioned from merely taking phone calls to making them himself. According to Wolfson, Kahn was "aggressively" working the phones this week and was making some progress on a trade. Such a deal would likely involve Williams, and would net Minnesota a big, rather than a wing.
  • The T-Wolves don't have interest in Portland's J.J. Hickson or Atlanta's Josh Smith.
  • Minnesota is still weighing whether it makes sense to pursue Rudy Gay. If the Wolves were to make an offer for Gay, it would likely have to include a third team, and would involve Nikola Pekovic.
  • Brandon Roy's contract may be included in a trade at the deadline for salary purposes.
  • The Lakers recently inquired on Dante Cunningham, but Cunningham's affordable salary makes the Wolves reluctant to part with him.
  • According to Wolfson, interest in buying the T-Wolves is "as high as ever." Former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, who confirmed yesterday he has interest in buying another NBA franchise, is said to be kicking the tires on the Wolves.
  • There's no word yet on whether Andrei Kirilenko is leaning one way or the other on his $10.22MM player option for 2013/14.
  • Minnesota didn't apply for a disabled player exception for Malcolm Lee. As Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors wrote on Monday, such an exception wouldn't have provided much flexibility for the club.
  • According to Wolfson, there's some speculation that the Wolves would like to take over basketball operations of their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The Skyforce are currently affiliated with the Heat, Magic, and Sixers, as well as the Wolves.
  • While it's been presumed for some time that Minnesota would be among the clubs interested in Greg Oden, the team hasn't done due diligence on him so far, like some others have.
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Hawks Have Participated In Josh Smith Trade Talks

January 16th, 2013 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

For most of the season, we've been hearing that Josh Smith is happy with the job Danny Ferry has done so far in Atlanta, and that he's pleased with the Hawks' direction. However, the team's recent struggles appear to be taking a toll on the veteran forward. The Hawks announced today that they've fined and suspended Smith for one game for "conduct detrimental to the team."

While Smith and Ferry talked about moving past the issue in the team's press release, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that it may not be quite that easy. According to Berger, Smith's agent, Wallace Prather, met with Ferry to discuss what Prather described as "a lot of frustration" with Atlanta's recent play. However, Smith and his agent stopped short of making a trade request.

"I want to be clear that I'm not pushing a trade," Prather said. "This is not a trade request or anything, but there are frustrations in Atlanta."

Prather added that he does know "teams are interested" in his client, and Berger hears from rival executives that the Hawks have participated in trade talks with several clubs involving Smith. The 27-year-old is in the final year of his contract and will hit unrestricted free agency this summer, so if Atlanta feels as if Smith could walk in July, it may make sense to entertain offers him before the trade deadline.

The Grizzlies, despite looking to clear long-term salary from their books, have not contacted the Hawks about Smith, and the Mavericks haven't expressed interest either, according to Berger. However, the CBSSports.com scribe hears that both Memphis and Dallas, as well as Houston, would appeal to Smith.

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Southeast Notes: Seraphin, Hawks, Beal

January 15th, 2013 at 9:41pm CST by Alex Lee

The Bobcats were the only Southeast team in action tonight, getting torched by the Central-leading Pacers in Charlotte.  Let's take a look at what else is going on in the division on Tuesday:

  • According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst (via Twitter), Wizards big man Kevin Seraphin has changed agents, hiring Rich Paul.  Seraphin, a former first round pick, is under contract in Washington at least this year and next before the team must decide whether to extend him a qualifying offer. He was formerly represented by Bouna Ndiaye.
  • Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today offers his perspective on the job new general manager Danny Ferry has done with the Hawks.  After clearing cap space by moving Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams, much of the Hawks roster is currently playing on expiring deals.  While that can be a tough spot for a coach to be in, Larry Drew has gotten his team off to a solid start despite a recent lull.  The Hawks now have the financial flexibility to re-sign Josh Smith this summer as well as go after someone like Dwight Howard, Zillgitt writes. 
  • In a separate story for USA Today, Zillgitt concurs with much of what we heard yesterday with regard to Bradley Beal; essentially that the Wizards have no plans whatsoever of trading their rookie phenom for Rudy Gay or anyone else.  On the contrary, Zillgitt writes that Beal is settling nicely into his role as the team's closer.
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Spears On Jennings, Daye, Smith

December 19th, 2012 at 3:30pm CST by Chuck Myron
Like many NBA writers, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports ranks the 30 NBA teams each week. This time around, Spears peppered his ratings with a few noteworthy rumors, and we'll take a look at those here.
  • The Bucks have told Brandon Jennings they'll match any offer he gets in restricted free agency next summer, according to Spears. Jennings is averaging career highs in assists and steals this season after the Bucks turned him down for an extension before the October 31st deadline. The point guard will be one of the gems of restricted free agency in the offseason, and even if a few teams might be scared off by Milwaukee's willingness to match, Jennings could be in line for a maximum offer. In any case, this news would seem to indicate the Bucks aren't looking to trade Jennings, but that's not necessarily set in stone.
  • The Pistons are "actively shopping" Austin Daye, according to Spears. I think it would be difficult to find much of a market for the 24-year-old forward, who has appeared for a total of just 40 minutes in six games this season, and the 15th overall pick from 2009 hasn't done much to distinguish himself in four seasons with the Pistons, averaging 5.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for his career. MLive.com's David Mayo notes that Daye is returning to the Pistons rotation, and it's possible the team could be making that move simply to try to showcase him.
  • Sources tell Spears that Hawks GM Danny Ferry isn't interested in trading Josh Smith. This is in line with what we've heard so far about the mutual satisfaction between Atlanta and the athletic forward. Smith is making $13.2MM this season in the final year of his deal.
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