Hawks To Seek Sign-And-Trade Scenarios For Josh Smit (Pg. 6)

Report: Extension For Josh Smith Unlikely



By Steve Aschburner

Pick your poison.

Would you rather have Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, highly motivated, driven to have the best of what will be nine NBA seasons after this one, improving on 2011-12 numbers (18.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 21.1 PER) that were better than anything he had done before and hitting the free-agent market as one of the plums of 2013? Or Josh Smith, gone sideways, cranky over nonstop questions about his contract status, the object of repeated trade rumors and all of that affecting his market value to other teams and also his production for the Hawks?

Hawks management already has made its choice, apparently. It is banking on the former while accepting some risk of the latter by stating that a contract extension this season for Smith is unlikely. Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with Atlanta’s new GM for the paper’s NBA blog:

According to Hawks general manager Danny Ferry, Smith and his agents have said he would like to remain in Atlanta.

“I’ve been clear that I value Josh as a player,” Ferry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He has worked hard this summer and I believe he is going to have great season. I’ve been in contact with his representatives. Josh and his representatives have been clear that he is excited about the direction of the team and wants to be part of the future in Atlanta. That being said, I don’t expect the contract situation to be resolved until next summer.”


Smith’s affinity for Atlanta and history with the Hawks are two reasons Ferry feels secure in an approach different from, for example, the Philadelphia 76ers’ strategy in trying to re-up center Andrew Bynum before next summer. Of course, the newly acquired Bynum – as potentially the league’s second-ranked center – has a whole different market than Smith. He’s new to the Sixers and even though he is a native of nearby Plainsboro, N.J., he has spent the past seven years in Los Angeles. Better to lock in than risk Bynum departing for a glitzier destination.

Smith, of course, also could go. And after Atlanta’s trades of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams, a chunk of recent history – five straight playoff appearances, near-All-Star status last season for Smith – could exit with him.

Obviously the difference under the new CBA rules between three more years now (extension) and five more next summer (re-signing with Atlanta) is a big part of this. But a general lack of trust in Smith as a franchise player, that tricky – and nearly decade-old – equation of his skills and (still) his potential vs. leadership, team focus and his worthiness to be a “max” guy are at play too.

If J-Smoove plays his way to such a deal, as the active, intimidating 6-foot-9 force at both ends he can be, the Hawks will likely reward him. If he treats his next contract like a birthright and assumes that he’s due to slot into Johnson’s spot in the payroll, he might end up elsewhere. Next summer or sooner.

ben_ready wrote:Haters in the house. Dude brings it on both ends of the court yet he's stealing money lol the nerve of some people. And the hawks are looking to start over gasol big money comes off next year yell™

therealdeal wrote:^ I think he needs a coach more like Pop to thrive. He needs someone who will TELL him "HEY! You're not a 3 point shooter!"

Report: Josh Smith Will Not Sign Extension With Hawks



- Josh Smith has told the Hawks that he isn't going to sign an extension during the season. He'd rather wait to become a free agent, when he can get a five-year deal. An extension would limit him to a three-year deal, according to the new CBA rules. New GM Danny Ferry has upwards of 10 players who could be free agents at season's end. … The heart of Andre Iguodala's criticism of Doug Collins — "it was just draining for the criticism to be there every single day" — is the very reason the Sixers overhauled their roster, importing new players like Andrew Bynum, Nick Young, Jason Richardson, Kwame Brown and Dorell Wright for this season.

Josh Smith Seeks Maximum Level Contract



By Jeff Schultz

Nine seasons into Josh Smith’s career and the talking points haven’t changed much. But that’s not what really matters.

Doesn't matter that Smith can be the best player on the court, or the reason your head hurts. Doesn’t matter that he often has been the only Hawks player worth the cost of a ticket, or the one that makes you rip the ticket in pieces. Doesn’t matter that he probably deserved to be an All-Star in the last three years, even if those in power to fill out the All-Star roster seem to view him as a life form just north of algae.

This is all that matters right now about Smith, specifically regarding his tenuous future with the Hawks: His contract is expiring and his asking price for a new one is going to be high. It's going to hit the ceiling. It's why his days in Atlanta may be numbered.

“I feel like I’m a max player,” Smith said Friday.

And yes, that is the first time he has said that.

“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.”

The Hawks have given one max contract in their history. It turned Joe Johnson into a very rich man (six years, $123.6 million) and the Hawks into a punch line. So which way do you think the wind might be blowing on this?

Granted, in the new collective bargaining agreement, Smith's max deal would be nearly as high as Johnson's: about $94 million over five years. But it still could give the organization reason to balk.

Smith again: “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."

If you were waiting for the line in the sand, there it is.

Smith's comments came after the shoot-around Friday morning. He is central to trade rumors. He recently was suspended for a game. If he appeared distracted that night against Boston, it could be understood. Instead, he reaffirmed his importance. The Hawks, down by as many as 27 points in the second quarter, staged one of the most improbable comebacks in franchise history and beat the Celtics 123-111 in double overtime.

At the center of the comeback was Josh Smith. While the Hawks couldn't manage this sleight of hand without Kyle Korver's eight three-pointers, Smith dented Boston at both ends of the court: 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two blocked shots. His defense on Paul Pierce (4 of 13), particularly in the second half and overtime, buried the Celtics.

"Josh played big," Drew said later. "It just shows the talent that he has."

Of course, talent has never been the issue.

The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 21. This much we know: If general manager Danny Ferry really wanted to trade Smith, he would've done so before the season. He managed to trade Johnson to Brooklyn. Relatively speaking, trading Smith would be as difficult as fingerpainting.

Smith has lived with trade rumors for more than two years. But there's a greater sense of urgency to them now because his contract is expiring and Ferry, in the middle of a rebuilding project, might not want to overcommit to one player.

Until Friday, Smith had been saying the right things about his future in Atlanta. But now he seems less committal.

Asked if he had a preference, he responded: "No. I don’t know. I don’t have a preference for anything right now, except to try to make the playoffs."

The one game suspension Jan. 16 didn't sit well with him. But what upset him more was that word of Drew throwing him out of practice, following an argument, leaked out publicly.

"You have blowups and disagreements but in most championship-caliber organizations they keep it internal," he said. "They don’t try to broadcast a situation, as far as putting a player out there. That’s a problem."

Drew actually praised Smith, saying, "He's showing a level of leadership I haven’t seen before."

Of the argument, he said, "Josh is an emotional guy. We were losing and emotions were high. I was pretty testy that day as well.”

I’m predisposed to liking Smith. His skill set aside, few athletes are as passionate or care as much as him. Flaws? Sure. But he has come a long way. He has matured. He's 27 now with a wife, two young children and a third on the way.

“Kids mature you," he said. "You look at things from a different perspective."

He's not the same kid. He understands his future may be elsewhere. If the Hawks believe this decision will come down to something other than money, they're mistaken.

Sources: Josh Smith's Reps and Hawks To Meet About Future

Chris Broussard ‏@Chris_Broussard

Josh Smith's reps will speak with Hawks' GM Danny Ferry this week about Smith's future in ATL, sources say.

Source: Expectation Growing For Josh Smith Trade



Expectations around the NBA are growing that the Atlanta Hawks will trade Josh Smith this season, according to a source.

Smith and the Hawks' management have seemed at odds over the past month and the two sides have reportedly met to discuss the forward's future.