Trade season in full swing
The only place Josh Smith will have to worry about guarding Jamal Crawford next season is in practice, now that it appears Crawford is headed for the Hawks via trade.
HAWKSVILLE - One by one the texts and phone calls started coming in late Wednesday afternoon.
Hawks players wanted to know if what they were hearing was true. So did other team’s players, scouts, coaches and an assortment of other people.
“Are we really going to get Jamal Crawford?” one player asked via text. “Is this serious?”
“You really think this is going to happen?” another asked. “Man, he gets buckets. Major buckets. We could be explosive with him and all our other cats coming back.”
“This is a crucial move for them,” a Western Conference scout told me, “because it was obvious in the playoffs that they needed another scorer with some size that could create a shot.”
Not a single player, coach or executive from anywhere that I communicated with Wednesday objected to the move for the Hawks. Not one person.
Truth be told, they were going crazy about it, with one guy calling is a “master stroke” since the Hawks moved two for one without sacrificing draft picks now or in the future.
For years folks have complained around here about the Hawks not being active enough during trade season (the time before the draft through the start of training camp when all the league’s best wheeling and dealing is done). Well, you’ve got your wish.
And you can dissect it every which way now that it appears that Crawford will join the Hawks in exchange for Acie Law IV and Speedy Claxton being sent to Golden State (the only detail left is for Crawford to sign an agreement saying he won’t exercise the opt-out clause in his contract).
Of course, the Hawks aren’t the only team working the trade season to their advantage. Deals are to be had for teams looking to add and subtract players and salaries in an effort to retool for the coming season. LeBron James and Shaq appear to be headed for a whirlwind season in Cleveland. Mike Miller and Randy Foye will bolster the playing rotation for Flip Saunders in Washington after the Wizards pawned off a lottery pick and some spare parts for real players in a deal with Minnesota. And Richard Jefferson’s arrival from Milwaukee (for scraps) breathes new life into a San Antonio team that seemed headed for an eternal ice bath in the playoffs.
There will surely be more craziness to come, perhaps even during tonight’s draft. But make no mistake about it, the teams moving and shaking now are the ones positioning themselves for the future (immediately for teams like the Hawks, Spurs, Wizards and Cavaliers and not-so-immediately for the Timberwolves and Warriors).
I’m an advocate of bold moves. I’m a fan of bold moves that produce immediate results. And for a franchise that for the longest time was immune to them, the Hawks have a decent track record on their most recent deals of that nature.
In the summer of 2005 they went after Joe Johnson, then a restricted free agent in Phoenix, and immediately changed their fortunes (it didn’t happen overnight but going from 13 wins to 47 in four years started with that bold stroke). 1-for-1.
They swung for the warning track with Claxton the following summer, hoping like crazy that he could solve their point guard quagmire and deliver them to playoff contention faster than a rookie or youngster only to have that plan blow up in their face after Claxton’s knee’s gave out. 1-for-2.
They gambled on Mike Bibby being able to get them over the proverbial hump and into the playoffs at the trade deadline two years ago and cashed in with back-to-back trips to the playoffs, including home court advantage this season en route to a trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals. 2-for-3.
The Hawks' point guard of the future could be Wake Forest star Jeff Teague.
The played roulette last summer with their own free agents, Josh Smith and Josh Childress, allowing the market to set the price on what they should be paid and lost one (Childress to Greece) and hung on to the other one (Smith, who signed an offer sheet from Memphis that the Hawks matched before the ink dried), and then followed that up by adding veterans Flip Murray and Mo Evans to help fill the void. Murray finished in the same spot in the Sixth-Man voting that Childress did the year before and Evans stabilize things late in the year when Marvin Williams went down with a severe back injury for the final month and half of the regular season. 3-for-4.
This deal for Crawford makes sense for so many reasons, as the digital tag-team duo of Mark Bradley and Jeff Schultz have already pointed out in separate takes on this latest roll of the red, white and blue dice.
Crawford certainly sounds like he’s pleased with the move, especially when you consider the situation he’s coming from in Golden State. And just like when the Hawks acquired Bibby and the skeptics wondered how he’d fit, things worked out because Bibby was a seasoned pro that knew what was expected of him when he came here and he delivered. I suspect Crawford’s situation will be similar in that he’ll come here realizing that this is his chance to shut up his doubters and prove that he can be a part of a winning operation.
Much like Bibby was when he arrived, Crawford might be a short term solution to a problem in need of a long-term answer. There’s no doubt the Hawks are still in need of their “point guard of the future.” And that’s where the true beauty of this deal for Crawford has been a bit overlooked. The Hawks didn’t have to include the 19th pick in the draft to get the backcourt insurance needed if unrestricted free agents Bibby and Murray aren’t re-signed this summer (and Crawford’s arrival doesn’t necessarily signal the departure of either guy. In fact, the Hawks would be best suited to find a way to keep them all in the fold if they want to solidify their ranks).
They still have that draft chip to snag the guy they want and need. They have studied all their point guard options up close and personal the past two months. They’ve seen Jeff Teague, Ty Lawson, Toney Douglas and Eric Maynor in person, had them all in for workouts at Philips Arena and had a chance to ponder what each one would look like alongside Johnson, Smith, Al Horford and the rest of the gang.
Whatever happens, they won’t go into next week’s open of free agency from a position of weakness where Bibby and Murray are concerned. They’ll operate from a position of strength with a chance to nail down the present and future at the position all at once.
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1,267 comments Add your comment
chuckw/deadjournalist
June 25th, 2009
10:39 pm
seriously, the two pitt guys must be in shock right now
Anakin Joe
June 25th, 2009
10:39 pm
Blair must have been caught tapping on the restroom floor during one of his workouts.
mykhalc
June 25th, 2009
10:43 pm
dag JOE!!!LOL
now if JC was brought in for Flip instead of Bibby then the move makes ’some’ sense. tho i do think Flip brought some much needed attitude to the team.
RaJaH
June 25th, 2009
10:49 pm
Joe:
Blair was probably caught tapping Sam Young because they both slipped something serious.
RaJaH
June 25th, 2009
10:50 pm
I stand corrected!
Melvin
June 25th, 2009
10:50 pm
Well you can strike the Pistons off the list of teams that have cap money to offer Marvin. They drafted two SF tonight…
Aunt Marguerite
June 25th, 2009
10:51 pm
Now now, Mr. Anakin Joe. That was uncalled for young man!
Anakin Joe
June 25th, 2009
10:51 pm
The rich get richer.
chuckw/deadjournalist
June 25th, 2009
10:51 pm
no wonder san antonio has been so good for so long. perfect, perfect pick.
rms
June 25th, 2009
10:51 pm
Sekou what are your thoughts on the Hawks pick? WHat are you hearing since you aint commenting???
Melvin
June 25th, 2009
10:52 pm
Nice pick by the Spurs. Just what Duncan need playing aside him. A nasty round mound of rebounds….
bigdave
June 25th, 2009
10:52 pm
dont think the Lakers selling their picks for cash had anything to do with the financial state… they just dont build through the draft… they acquire players, then pay them…
Sekou Smith
June 25th, 2009
10:52 pm
DaJuan Summers is a steal for Detroit. An absolute steal in the second round.
Melvin
June 25th, 2009
10:56 pm
Sekou. Agreed on Summers….
Big Ray
June 25th, 2009
10:57 pm
Kirk,
I understand what you’re saying. This smells like a money issue or whatever, but I submit again that the offseason has really just begun. Remember how uptight I was last offseason and you were telling me I was way too impatient? Back at ya friend.
Now having said that, I’ll join you in the darkness if Sund doesn’t make more good moves, and things take a turn for the worse. Also, I agree that we stand to take a step back without a proven floor general on our team. But with Crawford, I think we take less of a step back than we could have if we lost Bibby and were forced to try and patch things up with Flip and whomever we could get off the scrap pile towards the end of the season.
I feel that trading for Crawford put us in a position of strength in negotiations and what not. While it may not be highly likely that we re-sign Bibby, it’s not entirely impossible. Still, is it not better for us to be in a position where we are not forced to give Bibby WHATEVER he wants, because we can’t afford to lose him at all? And how much would be too much when it came to paying him?
Consider that he may not be as thrilled to be here as we were to have him. What then? Would you rather be stuck overpaying Flip and trying to find HIM a backup or alternate at the end of the summer?
In the end, I think you’ll see us make some moves to acquire another experienced pg (though not as experienced as Bibby) before the season starts. It may be Jarrett Jack, or somebody else. That’s if we don’t re-sign Bibby. Which may have been coming, whether we liked it or not.
w8102chawks
June 25th, 2009
10:58 pm
Avery Johnson will report to the Hawks front office tomorrow morning or sometime soon, dude would love to teach this team and show a young pg a thing or two.
Ariose
June 25th, 2009
10:58 pm
We May be able to get Danny Green!!!He may fall!!!
kgbsfinst
June 25th, 2009
10:58 pm
I’m hoping Green is still on the board for us
Big Ray
June 25th, 2009
10:59 pm
San Antonio knows better than to look a gift horse in the mouth…
LOL at Niremetal…
kirkinga
June 25th, 2009
10:59 pm
niremetal, my goodness man, this is THE day for speculation is it not? I think we all operate under a subjective standard when it comes to projecting what certain moves mean before the offseasons concludes.
I don’t believe the Hawks drafted this guy with the thoughts of him being the 4th guard in a 4-man rotation behind JJ, Bibby, and Crawford. That is the basis for my thoughts moreso than money.
I cannot completely pan the pick because the Hawks may well try to resign Bibby but ultimately prove unsuccessful. I just happen to believe that the path to advancement for the Hawks lies in improving the frontcourt first.
Perhaps Sund will surprise us and swing a deal for a couple of bigs. Maybe he can pry Scola away from the Rockets should they complete a deal with the Rockets.
Go Hawks!!
HB Ando
June 25th, 2009
11:00 pm
Nire, you really think that the ASG traded for a guy with a $10 million/year contract, to be a BACK UP?
Really?
What, about this organizations’ track record, supports that type of financial commitment for a second-team player?
I’m just curious, is all……
doc
June 25th, 2009
11:00 pm
kirk, i give bibby cred where it is appropriate, however, bibby probably had the ball under his watch about as little as any point guard in the league. he had very little to do with “running” the offense. he was a weapon himself. even when he was on the court with flip he did very little to make things happen. he was erratic on assists per game as a measure of how much he had to do with the success of the offense other than taking the heat from jj. he also disappeared in many games having no impact whatsoever. example was the playoffs both years. reality check, again this team is on the rebuild and there is no way to keep it together nor expect it to look anywhere like it was last year, bibby or no bibby.
blair is going to a very good program for him.
Mike is back
June 25th, 2009
11:01 pm
I know some players have slip, but I feel that Siler is got to be our guy…but I want be mad if the kid from Gonzaga is selected…we gotta go 6’11” or taller with this pick
Harry Hawk
June 25th, 2009
11:01 pm
It’s gonna be Jamal and Joe in the backcourt.
Follow the money.
Sekou Smith
June 25th, 2009
11:01 pm
I was writing stories rms. Dang man, I gotta pay the bills. Ha. Teague’s the real deal man. He’s going to be a good player. And there’s no rush this time. Fantastic pick. He has true point guard skills, too, I don’t care what the pre-draft profiles say.
Second round pick could be interesting. If Budinger or someone is around, snag him.
Anakin Joe
June 25th, 2009
11:04 pm
Geez, Chris F’ing Wallace is talking about defensive toughness.
Wabe
June 25th, 2009
11:05 pm
What are yall thinking at 49?
There’s still some big names on the board.
Should we go BIG? Or get another gaurd to complement Teague with – maybe a Patty Mills or Marcus Thornton? I’ve seen both play, Thornton more than Mills, and they’re both pretty good.
Personally, I watched Thornton give UNC fits in the 2nd round of the NCAA tourny. LSU was the only team to even give UNC a fight throughout the tourny, and much of that had to do with the matchup problems Thornton posed.
I’m thinking we’ll go for a BIG – but I wouldn’t be surprised if they took another gaurd like Mills or Thornton if they’re there.
Anakin Joe
June 25th, 2009
11:06 pm
Sekou, so you must expect a bunch of big men to sign with the Hawks via free agency, huh?
JSS
June 25th, 2009
11:07 pm
Mike, I was about to ask about Josh Heytvelt… There are some teams between 42-45 who may scoop him up (Pistons)
kirkinga
June 25th, 2009
11:09 pm
Ray again what you are saying is completely rational.So I’m not going to argue with you.
But I am still waiting for someone to make the case that a PG with a 1/1 A-T ratio is someone to get excited about. I’m reading alot about athleticism and not enough about basketball skill. Yeah Bibby could shoot, but he could hold on to the ball, he could hit the big shot, and he could lead.
Then again, we did hear those leadership and maturity things about Acie last year and well, we see how that worked out.
But Ray my greatest fear is that we not only fail to address the frontcourt, but that Crawford ends up playing the 1 with results similar to what we saw with the unfortunate experience with JJ in that role.
Promise me that will not happen Ray…lol!
Go Hawks!!
Big Ray
June 25th, 2009
11:10 pm
Yep. The same Chris Wallace that offered a contract to Josh Smith. How about that. Not reading anything into that. Nope, not one thing. Heh.
Kirk,
I think Sund will try to do something. And really, he will HAVE to. Zaza is a free agent, and after that, we have what? Solo? Nothing against Solo, but he may not be in the long term plans. And RandMo is…well, fill in the blank.
Sund will have to do something, and I think he will. The question is whether that something will help us.
Anakin Joe
June 25th, 2009
11:11 pm
Kirk, I share your pain.
JSS
June 25th, 2009
11:11 pm
I’m starting to get a bad feeling
doc
June 25th, 2009
11:11 pm
as a follow up chuck has elegantly shown this team has huge holes and it has not given up any “cap” room to make it better. none of us know what they are budgeting to spend this year, nobody. everything beyond that is speculative and will not be known until the roster is complete unless sekou has heard some inside info. that info is the critical measure for competitive success and structuring a successful team. the higher the number the more likely we keep bibby unless he is unrealistic on his value to the market or to this team. he will decide whether to stay or not based on his ego.
nire, you are a smart guy but many have written what ray finally convinced you of. where was the block/resistence to understanding?
Anakin Joe
June 25th, 2009
11:12 pm
Solo is a FA. We have Horford, Smith, RandMo and a slew of combo guards.
Melvin
June 25th, 2009
11:15 pm
Is Joe D the new BK… How many SF’s is he going to draft tonight.
niremetal
June 25th, 2009
11:15 pm
Ando,
I won’t even argue with you on ASG finances anymore, man. You’re just intractable on that front, so it’s not worth my time anymore. Sorry.
Good Grief
June 25th, 2009
11:16 pm
man, wth do Stuart Scott be talking about sometimes…
kirkinga
June 25th, 2009
11:17 pm
doc again my allegiance is to the team, not Mike Bibby. I saw the imperfections but all I care about are the results. There seems to be some short memories around here of what it was like before he arrived.
It’s about winning and I believe Bibby was difference maker in that regard, defensive liabilities notwithstanding.
But if you believe the Hawks are in rebuilding mode s you stated, then yeah, letting Bibby walk makes sense. But so does letting JJ and others go does as well. I don’t believe the Hawks are rebuilding, at least not yet. What they do with the frontcourt will tell the story every bit as much as what ultimately happens with Bibby.
So it’s simple really. Are the Hawks, as presently constructed, more likely to win with Bibby than without him? I would answer in the negative and that is what concerns me…results
Go Hawks!!.
doc
June 25th, 2009
11:17 pm
kirk, we just traded away a guy with a 4 to 1 to ratio, didnt hear you crying about him this season or as he leaves nor eager to see him take the reins.
guess i can repeat what you siad over and over last summer, there is plenty of time, be patient. that was with the need to only make two or three moves instead of 4 to 6 this year. yes, i would like bibby back but i prefer some action on making us bigger of nastier with some vet meat that doesnt model for gq in chandeliers on his ears nor pop popcorn on the side as a sign of veteran leadership.
Melvin
June 25th, 2009
11:18 pm
Minny select 4 pg’s out of 5 picks.Tonight…
Big Ray
June 25th, 2009
11:18 pm
Kirk,
I’d like to make you that promise, but I know better, lol! Crawford can actually survive just fine at the pg position with JJ out there with him. It would be different if JJ wasn’t such an able ball-handler. I also think JJ won’t be pounding the ball as much with Crawford out there with him. Crawford isn’t going to stand around. And one of the main reasons that pg experiment failed with JJ is because there really was no second scoring option in the backcourt (or anywhere else) for Joe to get the ball to. If Crawford plays a scoring pg role, he can still get the ball to JJ, Marvin, Josh, and Al. JJ was the clear #1 scoring option, and practically had nobody to give the ball to that could score on their own. Jamal won’t have this problem, if it comes to that.
And while I understand the concerns about Teague’s turnover to assist ratio, we’re also talking about a guy who was called upon to play more 2 than 1 in college. I think he can be molded into a better ball handler.
Tony Parker was wild as hell when he came into the league. Look at him now. Not that I’m comparing the two. But if he can learn, and is willing to learn, then it will be okay.
As for our frontcourt, I truly get your concerns. Don’t know what Sund will do, but he HAS to do something. We’ll see what it is…
kwooden1
June 25th, 2009
11:19 pm
I’m not a big Teague fan, saw him a few times against Maryland U and thought Wake Forest had a bunch of underacheivers. With that said, he’s athleticism is as advertised and he’s got a nice handle. I like him a little better than Acie in Woody’s system because he can get his shot a little better. Enough said, do have a problem with the pick.
GO HAWKS!!
Ariose
June 25th, 2009
11:21 pm
MILLS!!!!!!1
rms
June 25th, 2009
11:22 pm
Sekou, what were people saying about Chris Paul and Deron Williams when they were drafted? Is it the same thing they are saying now about all these pgs drafted right now.
kgbsfinst
June 25th, 2009
11:23 pm
Patrick Mills? Would the Hawks really draft two point guards? Would that force Woodson to at least play one of them? Is Woodson willing to? This should be an interesting pick.
Wabe
June 25th, 2009
11:25 pm
I’ll tell you Teague is much better with the ball in his hands than Bibby. He’s more of a playmaker. He can slash to the basket, has the mid-range game although his shooting form is being questioned, and is enough of a point gaurd to make around him better.
Honestly, look at teams like Miami who started Chalmers at the point this past season. He wasn’t spectacular, but he played pretty well for a rookie on a team that clearly overachieved this season. Sure they have D.Wade, but honestly, the talent level on that team is nowhere near the talent level the Hawks have. I personally think Teague’s play will in large part be influenced by the players around him. JJ and Crawford can both get inside and slash, which opens things up for a guy like Teague. The biggest difference between him and Bibby is simple: IF OPPOSING GAURDS RESPECT HIS ABILITY TO SHOOT THE BALL – IT WILL MAKE IT THAT MUCH TOUGHER TO STOP A GAURD LIKE TEAGUE WHO POSSESSES MUCH MORE QUICKNESS AND HAS THE ABILITY TO SLASH TO THE BASKET. Putting that around guys like JJ, Crawford, Marvin, and FLIP (if he resigns), you got 3-4 guys that are all capable of opening up driving lanes for the slashing point gaurd.
Wabe
June 25th, 2009
11:26 pm
I’m guessing the PHOENIX takes Patty Mills..
ant banks
June 25th, 2009
11:26 pm
NOWAY HAWKS PICK PATTY MILLS
Wabe
June 25th, 2009
11:26 pm
Buddinger is still there…
If the Suns don’t take him…I honestly don’t see the Hawks passing on him.