Be careful what you wish for …
Hey Josh Smith, true or false, the rumor mill loves you?
HAWKSVILLE - If you believe what you read, and I’ll warn you that you can’t always do that where NBA rumors are concerned, Josh Smith’s name is generating some serious buzz on the trade rumor mill as the NBA draft approaches.
ESPN.com’s NBA Insider Chad Ford claims the big rumor of the day is that the Hawks are shopping Smith (I’ve had two Hawks sources insist to me this afternoon that they aren’t shopping Smith or anything like it, but what else do you expect them to say?), hoping to find a taker for their 23-year-old power forward (the one with the $6 million trade kicker and the love-him-or-hate-him debate stuck to his profile).
Normally, I’d take my garbage extinguisher and put down a silly, Hawks-related rumor before it starts burning. But not this one.
Even if the Hawks haven’t formally chatted up teams about the prospect of trading Smith, I know it’s been discussed internally. And here’s another warning, all those wanting to vote Smith off the island better be careful what you wish for. Aside from this being a win all the way around for Smith (if anything were to happen he’d get the $6 million, a move to a potentially better situation and he’d rid himself of all those folks groaning every time he does anything other than dunk or block a shot), it’s a huge gamble for the Hawks. There’s no way you move a player as young and talented as Smith without getting someone equally young and talented in return.
And Ford is absolutely right about one thing, there are plenty of teams that would love to snatch him away from the Hawks and plant him on their frontline for the next five to seven years and see just how much better he’ll get in that time.
I say this after having numerous conversations last summer and all season long with scouts and executives from teams around the league wondering just how good Smith might be if he played in another system (no one has ever seen him anywhere but in a Hawks uniform).
They won’t have to wait much longer to get a look. My sources inform me that Smith is headed to Las Vegas next month to participate in the USA Select team’s summer workout. He’ll be working with the same elite team of young stars that Al Horford worked with last summer as they helped prepare the Olympic team for their gold medal march in Beijing. (Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Iguodala, Rodney Stuckey, Kevin Martin and O.J. Mayo were some of the other young stars on that squad. Personally, I’d love to see Smith in that mix and see what kind of things he might do in that set up. Doesn’t sound like the kind of cat I’d be trying to get rid of, but hey, it’s not my call).
Something tells me that any NBA team wondering what Smith looks like free from the backcourt dominated system the Hawks run will be sitting in that gym in Vegas next month taking some serious notes as well. Horford earned raves from folks in attendance, many of whom asked later why they didn’t see any of that from him during the season.
It’s a legitimate question, especially for players that aren’t the No. 1 offensive option on their teams during the NBA season like Durant, Martin and Iguodala are on their teams.
Look no further than the recently completed NBA Finals for proof that patience (with talented but still developing young players) is a virtue that most teams would be wise to embrace.
Orlando had Trevor Ariza on their roster just as he was coming into his own but they couldn’t wait. It had to sting his old teammates watching him help the Lakers usher the Magic out of the Finals in five games. In fact, outside of Kobe Bryant and Derrick Fisher, the Lakers’ other main players during the series were all basically someone else’s cast offs. Miami sent Lamar Odom packing (albeit for Shaquille O’Neal). And Memphis foolishly gave up on Pau Gasol (swapping him for Kwame Brown, two passes to Six Flags over Georgia and a lifetime supply of Twizzlers … or something like that).
I’m not suggesting that teams should never trade away young talent. There are certainly times when a parting of the way works for both sides.
I’m only warning that you better know exactly what it is you are doing when you enter this realm (and we still don’t know for sure if this is only idle chatter, speculation rooted in some real conversations or just 226 words of complete nonsense designed to stoke the pre-draft flames).
Either way, the Hawks are on the clock (draft and otherwise) between now and training camp. And it appears that we aren’t the only ones watching to see what they do.
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345 comments Add your comment
Big Ray
June 15th, 2009
9:48 pm
Smoove is still immature. He can’t guard any post players, he argues EVERY CALL, he can’t speak English properly, and he can’t shoot a ball into an ocean
BosnianBaller
June 15th, 2009
9:53 pm
JHawks what do you have against reef.He played his ass out here.Made the All-Star team.It’s not his fault Big Dog and Terry couldnt play D or Dickau was a bust.
truth-serum
June 15th, 2009
9:54 pm
WHAT CAN WE GET FOR SUND, BRADLEY AND ZAZA THE ROAD TO THE CUP IS NOW OPEN PACULIA? CAN WE GET A DRAFT PICK FOR DUMB, MO DUMB AND SIX INCH VERTICAL LEAP?
Manny
June 15th, 2009
9:58 pm
Josh Smith should not be traded, period. Go and get a point guard and a center. All this trading Josh Smith for something is stupid… unless it’s some trade like “Josh Smith for Dwight Howard”, or “Josh Smith for Lebron” trade. It’s not going to happen. And a trade for anyone else shouldn’t happen.
As for Josh Smith’s game, go and get someone to teach him how to post up. He needs to learn how to play with his back to the basket.
Oh, and as to Mike Woodson, his new job is to get them to the playoffs, win the first series, and not to have the team melt down after that. If he can do that, his job is secure. If not, then he wouldn’t have his job that next year.
Ariose
June 15th, 2009
10:03 pm
Just got through debating with Jamelle Hill on twitter about weather or not J-Smoove is immature or not…….we baisically agreed to disagree. I toldd her compared to Rahseed, he’s a saint.
tony
June 15th, 2009
10:03 pm
Get rid of that nuisance. If anyone want the hawks to keep that undiscipline brick shooter to remain on the team need their head examine. If we can some how get Memphis 1st pick for Josh the BRICK SHOOTER, by all means do it. Send Joe Johnson with his 70 million alone with him.
Draft Hasheem Thabeet with Memphis 1st pick and Tyler Hansbough with the 19th pick.
Dan
June 15th, 2009
10:05 pm
I am amazed at my reaction to this rumor….I have b#tched about Josh Smith for years (sometimes even on this blog). I would have expected myself to be all for this potential trade, but I’m not.
I don’t want the Hawks to trade Josh Smith. It is just too risky. Josh, although he drives me nuts, has all the tools to be great. We have waited this long for him to develop. Why trade him off to a team that might be getting a finished product?
Mz. Hawkdafied, I with you. I am starting to worry…
Reid Adair
June 15th, 2009
10:09 pm
I’ll believe it when I see it. This is so bad that it isn’t even attributed to “a Hawks official who asked to remain anonymous” – or however it is that they word that these days.
Depressed Hawks Fan (est. 1999)
June 15th, 2009
10:13 pm
Fire Woodson, trade Joe, trade Josh, draft CP3, draft Brandon Roy, blah, blah, blah!
*Middle finger to the Hawks*
The Truth
June 15th, 2009
10:14 pm
Other then Bosh, I can’t think of another frontline impact player currently in the NBA that’s available and worthy to be a Josh replacement. I say Bosh because he wants out of Toronto with 1-year left on his contract. But as I wrote in Mark’s blog, such a move would be highly risky for the Hawks unless we are compensated accordingly.
During the playoff with JJ struggling, I wrote that Josh had emerged to be the face of the Hawks franchise. It was mostly Josh being shown during the Hawks playoff highlights on ESPN and TNT not JJ or Bibby. So if this rumor is true (and that’s a doubtful if), then it will only add to Sund’s nightmares if it is perceived as a weak trade by the fans.
Sekou Smith
June 15th, 2009
10:28 pm
My sentiments exactly Dan. The worst move in the NBA is when a team trades a prized talent just when he’s ready to come into his own (the Grizzlies moving Gasol when they did is one of the all-time fool moves). It happens all too often in the NBA. And it makes no sense.
Hawks Lifer
June 15th, 2009
10:31 pm
I would trade Josh Smith to get the free agent Hedo Turkoglu, or Marcus Camby. I hate watching the wire in the off season for the Hawks and nothing happens when there are so many holes to fill. The last 3 to 4 guys on the end of the bench are D-League players at best. Mike Bibby is not the type of PG we need! The hawks need a PG that can dribble penetrate and kick out to open jump shooters, though that may only be Joe Johnson. I have seen Mike Woodson out coached too many times this past season, and now realize that he is incapable of making in-game adjustments. Maybe changing the coach and adding a decent center will make all the difference.
niremetal
June 15th, 2009
10:34 pm
Ray,
Maybe he’ll join Diaw in Charlotte, Przybilla in Portland, or Chill in Greece. Amazing to think what we could do with a “Young-Players-Who-The-Hawks-Had-No-Use-For Team.” The only weakness on that team would be PF…my guess is Shelden would be their starter.
Sekou,
Yeah, we shouldn’t trade Josh for cap space and/or a draft pick. That would just be stupid. I admit I might be intrigued by Rubio, but no way I give up Smoove for him. Josh should be out of the question unless you get back a young, solid starting center or an All-Star in his prime. The two names I’m specifically thinking of are Biedrins and Bosh. But I’d hesitate on Smith-for-Biedrins, and I’m sure the Raptors would hesitate on Smith-for-Bosh – from their perspective, they’d probably want to rebuild (read: shed payroll) if Bosh leaves.
But for a draft pick? Unless it’s the Clippers’, no thanks. And just to clear payroll a la the Nuggets with Camby? No way.
clint
June 15th, 2009
10:35 pm
unless we can get bosh for josh smith, we better not even be thinking about trading smoove anywhere
RealSquawk
June 15th, 2009
10:35 pm
I know what this is…
This is a Sekou Smith Mark Bradley conspiracy/collaboration.
Don’t believe it folks.
But when you think about and some people above me have mentioned this as well. It is always cheaper to fire the coach ALways unless its like Phil Jackson. So moving someone who was signed relatively cheap compared to his restricted free agent counterparts I would assume is not a good idea until we see him in a different situation.
Like the summer junior Olympic team which could really be a turning point for him. Even though I really doubt he was invited.
RealSquawk
June 15th, 2009
10:37 pm
Big Ray,
Are you serious with those comments?
dap01
June 15th, 2009
10:43 pm
Don’t trade Smith until you get a coach that has a clue. Get a coach that has an offense, get a coach that utilizes the obvious talent that he has. Get a coach that has more that one play, heck, get one that has 3 or 4 plays.
Woody is the problem. The Hawks will only be average at best, he is holding them back.
Who else is Woody going to get? Someone to stand outside and shoot threes? He certainly does not want to actually have to develop someone. Dang that would be hard.
Sekou Smith
June 15th, 2009
10:44 pm
I’ll admit the Bosh rumor would intrigue me if it ever came to fruition. But I have a hard time seeing that one getting done. Anyone suggesting you move Josh Smith for Camby … come on, man, at least present a feasible trade idea. That’s not even reasonable.
You have to at least talk about someone the caliber of David West or higher for me to even discuss trading this kid. I feel the same way about Al Horford, who is the same age as Josh. Cats that young, that talented … you don’t dismiss that without paying a heavy price. I’ve seen teams suffer the consequences far too many times to believe anything else.
Like I mentioned above, this is a win-win deal for Josh Smith. If the Hawks moved him, he’d cash in, literally and figuratively. It’s just a bad idea all the way around.
ant banks
June 15th, 2009
10:45 pm
trade him for draft picks? that woody won’t develop? and we end up fightin’ for the 8th seed again? wtf? trade josh for bosh (im a poet and didn’t know it.)
can you imagine bosh horford jj on the block? philip’s would be packed nightly, money will be made on concessions, parkin’, liquor, jersey etc. that is the only way that i would trade josh, otherwise, hawks will be laffin’ stock of the league.
Ariose
June 15th, 2009
10:46 pm
Sekou, did you catch my links? If not, i’ll post them again. I can’t have you missing the awsomenss that is J-Smoove and the Atlanta Hawks…
darrell starks
June 15th, 2009
10:52 pm
If woody is going to continue to be the coach he must hire him a offensive mind asst coach.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
ant banks
June 15th, 2009
10:53 pm
why is smoove untouchable? he is hard-headed. uncoachable and a tres jacker at the worst times. he also cant dribble!! he been in the league for 5yrs and his growth has been marginal at best. this yr his numbers dropped!! wtf!! when are we goin’ to see all this growth that you all say. “You don’t draft someone that young with all that upside.” dude been in the league 5yrs and it looks like he has peaked.
take all of the emotions out of it and what do you have in josh?
Reggie
June 15th, 2009
11:00 pm
sekou
If its Josh Smith for Amare Stoudemire I would consider it. Also what is the latest as far as what point guards are working out with the hawks this week?
Ariose
June 15th, 2009
11:03 pm
GameTime-Marvin Williams 08-09 mix
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC5aLzd2HkE&feature=channel
Outhouse
June 15th, 2009
11:04 pm
Trade the coach keep the player….
Ariose
June 15th, 2009
11:04 pm
GameTime-Flip Murray 08-09 Mix
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2P3HaRWf0U&feature=channel
You’re gonna love this one….
The background music is ironic because Flip says that on the court a lot. “By yourself Joe!!!!” “By Yourself Mike!!!!!” “By Yourself Marv!!!”
Ariose
June 15th, 2009
11:05 pm
GameTime-Josh Smith 08-09 Mix
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY3y7d8-fdU&feature=channel
Ariose
June 15th, 2009
11:06 pm
GameTime-Mike Bibby 08-09 Mix
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUHvwwSZKj4&feature=channel
Ariose
June 15th, 2009
11:07 pm
GameTime-Al Horford 08-09 Mix
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqIyBuLAymY&feature=channel
It’s been a while since ANYONE has made a Horford mix……not since right after he was drafted/part of his rookie campaign…..
Ariose
June 15th, 2009
11:09 pm
08-09 Acie Law Mix: some of you may have already seen this…..
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzy_ja_9yLM
“Law is a traditional pg if he gets placed in the right system he could be an all-star easy”……by tha way….lol
Rufus1
June 15th, 2009
11:12 pm
J-SMOOTH…ATHLETE NOT A BASKETBALL PLAYER
Josh has been playing basketball for 23 years and he can,t shoot or dribble. We have been waiting for the potential for 5 years…HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DEVELOP A JUMP SHOT??? You can’t keep player because you are afraid he will better with another team..THAT IS BAD BUSINESS!!!
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO FIND OUT HE IS JUST AN ATHLETE PLAYING BASKETBALL!!!!!
Ariose
June 15th, 2009
11:19 pm
He can dribble, CHECK THE DAMN LINK!!!!!
O'brien
June 15th, 2009
11:25 pm
Sekou,
If both players were given the chance to play PF with the same 4 guys around them, who do you think would be the better PF? Josh Smith, or Al Horford?
Birddawg
June 15th, 2009
11:26 pm
Dammit, I’m sick of this crap!!! I’m tired of all the talk of moving players and swapping picks, blah, blah, blah!!! This team has the talent to be succussful, why is it that no one can see that it’s the coaching that is holding this team back. No one develops the young talent or puts them in a position to succeed. Woodson tries to force the players into his system (if you can call it that) instead of adjusting his system to take advantage of his player’s strengths. All the hubbub about this team increasing in wins every year has nothing to do with his coaching. Anyone watching this team can see that they have been doing the same things they did when they had a 13 win season, they are just getting better due to experience and familiarity with each other’s games, NOT DUE TO BETTER COACHING BY WOODSON!!! This is idiotic. Josh Smith was the Hawks only consistent force in the playoffs, whether it was production or energy, he provided. Joe disappeared (although it could be understood with all the minutes Woodson had him play) Al and Marvin were banged up and Bibby did performed his usual vanishing act. This team has enormous talent, but no coach so why isn’t anyone talking about that? Is Jeff Van Gundy that comfortable doing commentary?
Birddawg
June 15th, 2009
11:31 pm
Rufus 1, I agree in one aspect, Josh Smith needs to take his behind in the gym and shoot about a thousand jumpers a day until he gets it right. And he needs to learn to give the ball up to his guards on breaks and hit the wing for the finish. Other than that, he has everything this team needs from a power forward. All players are athletes playing basketball until someone helps them develp their strenghts into a skill set. Unfortunately for Josh, he doesn’t have that guidance here with this coaching staff. No one on this team does.
A Tribe Called Quest
June 15th, 2009
11:40 pm
Sekou, please don’t mention Horford and David West in the same breath. Horford has 2 post moves: the running hook shot he can’t make, and his wild turnaround fadeaway jumpers. He only has these 2 shots and hardly gets any FGA, so someone please tell me how he is being productive for this team.
PEOPLE, IF WE NEED A CENTER, THEN HORFORD OR SMOOVE HAVE TO GO. DO NOT SAY THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THEM AND GET A CENTER. THAT MAKES NO FREAKING SENSE
Kenbud
June 15th, 2009
11:40 pm
R
I
C
K
Y
R
U
B
I
O
It’s a guard’s league and he’s the next great one. Yes, he’s only 18, but he has played very very well every time against the U.S. He’s better than ANY of the college point guards.
KevinA
June 15th, 2009
11:42 pm
JJ is three years older and still can’t pass out of a double team. Every year that goes by he drives less and shoots more. Maybe were talking about trading the wrong guy. How about Marvin and JJ for Brandon Roy. We just shoot to many jump shots.
Rufus1
June 15th, 2009
11:44 pm
Bouncing the ball twice to get to the hole is not dribbling…If that is the standard then 99% of the NBA can dribble. YOU AND I GET NERVOUS WHEN HE PUTS THE BALL ON THE FLOOR.(Turnover Machine)
SAY IT OUT LOUD…HE MAKES 10 MILLION A YEAR, HE CAN BARELY DRIBBLE AND CAN’T SHOOT!!!!
I repeat…HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO FIND OUT HE IS JUST AN ATHLETE PLAYING BASKETBALL!!!!!
PS. FIRE WOODSON
jhan
June 15th, 2009
11:47 pm
Josh for Bosh I could live with – if Bosh signs a long term deal.
Josh for Stoudamire I could live with – that would give us a legit post presence.
Josh for Biedrens – I would probably make that trade if I knew JJ was going to resign.
Sund won’t make any move with Josh until he knows what JJ is going to do long term. If he wants to leave there is no way he will trade Josh.
doc
June 15th, 2009
11:51 pm
rich, i love josh, only if you throw in mcghee then we got a deal, id even give you the 19 spot to even it up. so it goes like this, butler, mcghee, crit, the 5 slot in the draft for josh and the number 19. deal? that would begging to answer some issues for the hawks and break up the log jam between marvin, smith and horford.
Rufus1
June 15th, 2009
11:56 pm
Birddawg
You have to invest in the players who show growth not regression. Marvin and Al have shown growth, we all believe they will better next season. DO WE HAVE THE SAME FAITH IN JOSH????(Rebounds, free throws and blocks down)
If SUND thought Josh would improve as a player, they would trade Marvin.
SAY IT OUT LOUD…HE MAKES 10 MILLION A YEAR, FOR A GUY WHO DOES NOT COMMAND A DOUBLE TEAM!!!!
kirkinga
June 16th, 2009
12:01 am
Good Golly! Another Summer of drama revolving around Josh Smith? Really?
That said, trading him for draft picks only is unacceptable.Now if those picks were used in a package for another frontline player then that would approach making sense.
But hey, “sources” told us that Josh was going to sign with the Sixers and we all see how that went down. Then as that fire began to flicker, we got “Josh to sign with the Clippers?”
Now we’ve had two Josh Smith blogs in less than a weeks time? Y’all going to give poor Ray high blood pressure with all this Josh talk!
Go Hawks!!
SB
June 16th, 2009
12:02 am
Fire Mike Woodson, Then fire the guy who brought up the idea of trading Josh Smith. I read the same things over and over about what he can’t do, what about the things he can do. He’s one of the top 5 players to come out of his draft class. Smith, Horford, and Williams are all around the same age, He’s the best of the bunch now, and has the most upside of them all. So why is this the guy you want to trade?
SB
June 16th, 2009
12:07 am
Rufus 1…… The only guy that will get constant touches to command a double team in Woody’s offense is Joe. You can’t blame the player for the horrible coaches offense.
niremetal
June 16th, 2009
12:08 am
Wow, a doc sighting!!! Where you been, man?!?
Depressed Hawks Fan (est. 1999)
June 16th, 2009
12:13 am
Trade for David West? I’ll have what their smoking!
Najeh Davenpoop
June 16th, 2009
12:14 am
I am open to trading Josh Smith, but only if they receive a legitimate player in return. Something along the lines of what richbrave posted earlier, where the Hawks get back someone of Caron Butler’s caliber or higher in addition to a pick, is acceptable (although I still wouldn’t do that trade due to Butler’s contract). This draft is simply too weak to trade someone as young, as talented, and as productive as Josh Smith for a pick, unless that pick is going to get you Blake Griffin. Trade him for a legit front court presence like Bosh or Al Jefferson and I can get on board with it. Otherwise, it reeks of sacrificing talent for the sake of the coach, and Woody is not good enough to justify that. If Woody can’t get talented players like Josh and Acie on the same page as him, it’s time to get rid of him.
I wouldn’t blame this on the DASG necessarily either — Josh’s contract is pretty fair when you consider market value, so I doubt this is a pure salary dump type of move. I’ve been crossing my fingers about Rick Sund since he was hired, and I hope he doesn’t prove my fears about him correct.
All of this assumes this rumor is true of course. Chad Ford’s credibility has been pretty suspect to me ever since he all but posted videos of him giving blow jobs to Darko Milicic on Youtube.
Ariose, of all the people you could be debating with on Twitter, why the f*ck Jemele Hill?
Najeh Davenpoop
June 16th, 2009
12:15 am
And co-sign Depressed too… David West ain’t nothing special.
Dan
June 16th, 2009
12:17 am
I would trade for Tyson Chandler an athletic 7 foot center.
They tried to get rid of him last year and he is 27.
His contract is 11,350.000 in return we send them Speedy Claxton who has an expiring contract 5,757.818 Mo Evans 2,500,000 1 year contract and Randolph Morris 797,581 1 year contract. This deal would work.
Sign Andre Miller to play the point
Trade Josh Childress and draft BJ Mullins
draft with our pick draft Ty Lawson
Resign Zaza Pachulia