Atlanta Hawks: Josh Smith still wants to be traded
Miami–Even as Josh Smith is having a strong season for the Hawks he has let the team know he wants to be traded as the March 15 deadline approaches, according to people with knowledge of Smith’s thinking.
And the reasons for Smith’s dissatisfaction with the team now have to make the Hawks wonder if they will be able to sign him to a contract extension next season.
By the end of last season Smith wanted out of Atlanta because he believed he was singled out for unfair criticism by coaches and media. Those concerns have died down for the most part this season but now Smith believes he needs a fresh start with a franchise where he can better reach his potential on and off the court, according to one of the people with knowledge of Smith’s thinking.
The person said one of Smith’s complaints is that he believes the Hawks didn’t do enough to promote him for selection to the All-Star team, which he thinks contributed to lesser players being voted to the team by Eastern Conference coaches. Smith, an Atlanta native who has played his entire eight-year career with the Hawks, also would like to play for a franchise he believes is more committed to winning a championship.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Hawks have taken calls from teams interested in acquiring Smith—Golden State is among the teams who have inquired. But the Hawks so far have given no indication that they intend to part with Smith, who likely would command a high price in a trade.
Smith, 26, is under contract through next season, after which he can become an unrestricted free agent. If the Hawks don’t trade Smith and can’t alleviate his concerns by then, they face the real possibility of him signing with another team in the summer of 2013 because there figures to be a strong market for him.
I asked Smith about all of this last night before the Hawks played the Heat but he declined to comment. This is the third season in a row he’s been at the center of trade rumors.
“I really don’t pay any attention to it,” he said. “I just go out there and play the way I play and not worry about anything else. I know this is a business. Whatever happens, happens in the long run. But I know as long as I’m with the Hawks, I have to put my best foot forward.”
This season Smith is averaging 17.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals. No other player in the league can match those numbers across all categories. It’s that all-around productivity that makes the Hawks reluctant to part with Smith.
Smith’s value as a defender at the basket becomes obvious when Hawks opponents drive to rim when Smith goes to the bench.
“People look at the offensive end but defensively he changes the game,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said recently. “He is one of the few players I think that can play a defensive game and impact the game even if his offense is not on that night.”
The main knock on Smith’s game is his shooting.
After making 39 percent of his long two-point shots last season, a mark that was right at the league average, Smith is making just 31 percent of those attempts this season while attempting nearly two more per game. However, he’s attempting more shots per game at the basket and fewer 3-pointers than last season and his free-throw rate is up slightly.
Smith’s free-throw percentage has plummeted to a career-low 57.7 percent this season after he made a career-high 72.5 percent in 2010-11. His free-throw percentage has improved over the last 20 games or so.
Smith said he’s improved his free-throw shooting by taking his time at the line and expects his jump shots to start falling more often as the season goes on.
“It’s a long season but it came to you real quick,” he said. “They are throwing games at us left and right. If you look around the league most people’s percentages are down more so than usual.”
Smith’s emotional demeanor on the court has drawn fire from critics and has caused friction with teammates at times. But Jerry Stackhouse , an Atlanta resident who had developed a relationship with Smith before joining the Hawks this season, said Smith has grown in that area and Smith’s ability makes it difficult for the Hawks to trade him.
“His talent, that’s what you can’t give up on with Josh,” Stackhouse said. “It’s easy to say, ‘All right, let’s just move him.’ And then he goes and clicks at the next stop and you’ve got to look at that every night and you had it in house. That’s kind of the dilemma with Josh. You know you are going to get some uneasy moments from time to time but, for the most part, he’s really about winning. He wants to win. He’s competitive. I relate to that.
“How he handles his emotions and frustrations, sometimes he rubs people the wrong way and bruises them. But I think he’s happy-go-lucky. He thinks, ‘It was just heat of the moment’ and we can move on from it but he can bruise people. I think he’s learning that. He is learning to control his emotions a little better and it’s good for our team. The better Josh Smith is, the better the Atlanta Hawks are.”
Smith said his emotion fuels his performance but he’s made an effort to tone it down in the past couple seasons. He said he’s especially done so this year as injuries to Al Horford and Joe Johnson have increased the team’s reliance on him.
“I’m definitely an emotional player but I’m kind of bottling it up, understanding the importance of what my team needs and just trying to stay positive and have constructive criticism when possible,” he said. “Now I’m at the point of my career where I can voice my opinion a little bit more and it will be recognized more than back in the day [when] it got drowned out more so than anything else.
“[Teammates] know that I have good intentions, no matter how it’s delivered. I am saying stuff because I want to win games. It’s not nothing personal or to try to hurt or bash any one of my teammates or anyone else.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
754 comments Add your comment
yoursporthouse.com
March 8th, 2012
9:48 pm
Josh haters, you got your wish..clowns
Runner-
March 8th, 2012
9:48 pm
“If the Hawks ever get the personnel to seriously contend, the first move has to be upgrading LD.”
And yet sadly, that’s probably the LAST place the ASG would invest in
K.W.
March 8th, 2012
9:54 pm
*sad
Steve
March 8th, 2012
9:55 pm
Trade him. He is talented, yet not very smart. He’s been here for 7 years and still doesn’t understand his role, nor does he play team ball. If he does not get it after 7 years, he never will. His value is probably higher than it has ever been. Trade him, then trade Joe.
Taco
March 8th, 2012
9:55 pm
Trade his sorry malcontented A$$ now. Mediocre showboating no shooting fool!
Taco
March 8th, 2012
9:56 pm
Smart? he couldn’t spell cat if you spotted him the c and the t.
darrell starks
March 8th, 2012
9:56 pm
Pau Gasol is done no way trade for him, if you watch the Lakers play lately Pau game is becoming worst even with Kobe on the team, he have no edge any more.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sautee
March 8th, 2012
9:57 pm
“You made a reference to the trade here, and I got the impression that you did support it… guess not”
Nope. My reference was within the argument that big mens’ skills usually don’t erode quickly.
That’s not to say that Gasol WON’T erode by 33, just that overall, bigs can survive longer in the league because they don’t depend as much on speed and quickness.
yoursporthouse.com
March 8th, 2012
9:57 pm
Taco..30 and 12, 24 and 19, 23 and 8…
O'Brien
March 8th, 2012
9:57 pm
Looking ahead to the first year of Josh’s next contract (2013), Hawks are already at $41 mil with only 4 players under contract for that seaon. JJ ($21.5m – ouch), Marvin ($7.5m – ouch), Al ($12m), and Teague ($3.5m).
What kind of contract will Josh command? He will be 27 years old and arguably entering his prime. I think he will get at 5 years, $16m per year (at a minimum). If he becomes more consistent, his price goes up.
Why resign with the Hawks when they wont have the money to put more pieces in place?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 8th, 2012
9:57 pm
“maybe it shouldn’t be. the ball sure has moved a lot better lately.
sure, the Heat shut down the offense last night but they are a great defensive team. you think it would be any better with Joe dribbling on one side of the floor? as a matter of fact, wasn’t it Pargo’s speed that gave the Hawks a spark?
anyway, i’m not really a huge Monta fan, but if you can get him while getting rid of Joe’s contract it’s a slam dunk.”
MC I know it’s not technically your job as the beat writer, but I don’t think I’m just speaking for myself by saying you should share your opinions on this blog more.
confusahawk
March 8th, 2012
9:59 pm
Trade his ass to someplace obscure. He’s a spoiled child not worthy of a second thought.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 8th, 2012
9:59 pm
Rod’s 5:08 post is on point.
Sautee
March 8th, 2012
10:00 pm
“MC I know it’s not technically your job as the beat writer, but I don’t think I’m just speaking for myself by saying you should share your opinions on this blog more.”
Co-sign
O'Brien
March 8th, 2012
10:01 pm
Sautee,
<em. That’s not to say that Gasol WON’T erode by 33, just that overall, bigs can survive longer in the league because they don’t depend as much on speed and quickness..
People used to say the same thing about JJ before he signed his max contract. Since then, he has been on the decline.
brigadierjerry
March 8th, 2012
10:02 pm
Would you do the following:
Ama’re
Fields
Douglas
for
Hinrich
Smith
or
Amar’e and Fields for Smith and Marvin
Najeh Davenpoop
March 8th, 2012
10:03 pm
“A lot of you guys are acting like Josh just came out today or yesterday and said he wanted a trade. This is something he said in the off season (for two seasons now). And MC is just reporting through his sources that Josh hasn’t said anything since then to turn away from that desire.”
Good point. This trade demand is not new.
BJP
March 8th, 2012
10:03 pm
We’ll give you Marcus Thornton, Jason Thompson, and our first round pick for Smith.
Love,
Sacramento
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 8th, 2012
10:04 pm
“That said, if there was any way that we could get Pau alongside Al for the next 2-3 years, ”
________
Problem is, neither one of these players want to play CENTER! You can’t make someone do something they don’t want to do, Sir.
Amare, same thing. Lakers had to get Bynum and the Knicks had to go get Chandler. Are you people deaf, blind or both?
Champions don’t win with PF’s posing as Centers!
Dawg
March 8th, 2012
10:04 pm
Useless and pointless management of this team. They gave JJ $20 more than the next highest bidder could have given him.
The Hawks organization is a failure and a joke.
Slimjr
March 8th, 2012
10:05 pm
Miami’s defense is overrated based on last nights referred game…What was allowed was atrocious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5-8? Yep…..
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 8th, 2012
10:06 pm
Smoove acts like it’s him against the world, but if he read that article by Zach Klein (WSB) about what the 2 coaches said about him, maybe he’d fix his game.
Josh and Marvin for Scola and K-Mart
Done and Done.
FIRE LD
Sautee
March 8th, 2012
10:06 pm
O’Brien,
Yeah, I remember that was always niremetal’s take.
But I still say that erosion comes slower for bigs. But it still comes. Ask Ben Wallace.
Oh, maybe that was stopping a certain substance. Never mind.
Slimjr
March 8th, 2012
10:06 pm
refereed^^^^^
Najeh Davenpoop
March 8th, 2012
10:06 pm
“If Josh wants out, Pau Gasol MUST be the target, if a deal for Dwight Howard can’t be done. We’d lose some defense with Pau, but be better on offense. And Pau is a guy who can close out a game. All around, Pau is less exciting, but better.
Pau + Lakers 1st rd pick – for – Josh Smith and Kirk Hinrich.”
If Al Horford is going to remain a cornerstone of this team, Pau Gasol is the worst kind of player to get. That front line isn’t going to stop anyone from coming down the lane, and watching Pau trying to guard Dwight is going to be laughable.
I also don’t agree about him being a great closer, because he has closed out a grand total of zero playoff games as the lead option on a team. Joe at his peak was a better player than Gasol at his peak.
Yes, Gasol is probably a better player, especially on offense, but Josh for Gasol would officially make this the no balls team. A bunch of nice guys. That trade would have to be followed by trading Al and getting a defensive minded center.
Blast
March 8th, 2012
10:07 pm
Northcide,
That’s just it, though. Josh is beginning to put it all together. Without Joe and Al, he is starting to realize how great a player he can be. Better than Joe, better than Al. That makes him a franchise player.
And all the trade talks I hear for Josh just don’t make the Hawks better. Cousins? Gasol? Either one of the brothers? Even Monte? Please. I will take Montana Ellis for Joe in a minute, though! If you trade Josh, u gotta get an All Star player back in turn, bottom line. Look at his stat sheet and compare it to others in the league. Josh might not shine in one category, but he will shine in ALL categories.
If you can find me another player that can fill those stat sheets like Josh does, and play a position the Hawks need, and Josh wants to be traded, then trade his azz. But until then, hold on to your asset.
Y’all just a crazy bunch of mofu@kers.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 8th, 2012
10:08 pm
Scola is the most underrated player in this league and K-Mart is a solid 2. Move Joe to the 3.
Either that or get jacked in a trade.
NO THANK YOU to Monta Ellis and Biedrins (who f’ing sucks)
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 8th, 2012
10:08 pm
Briggs!
Yes.
Sol
March 8th, 2012
10:09 pm
Please trade Josh, the Hawks will be just fine with Al, Joe, Teague and what ever they get from that trade. We will be a better team going forward, this guy is the problem with this team.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
March 8th, 2012
10:11 pm
“By the end of last season Smith wanted out of Atlanta because he believed he was singled out for unfair criticism by coaches and media.”
Man quit catching feelings and play the game. You can’t play in the NBA and be sensitive. No matter what you do in life folks gonna hate.
Runner-
March 8th, 2012
10:13 pm
I really don’t see too many situations out there that give us the better end of the deal, unless if we were to dump Marvin on some team so shed some salary. Other than that, I don’t see us getting too many good ends of the deal
SteveW
March 8th, 2012
10:13 pm
I’m not totally against a Josh for Rondo deal, but if they take Kirk and throw in Brandon Bass, that makes it all the better.
But you have a logjam at the Point – Rondo/Teague/Pargo – And still JJ and Green at SG.
We would be basically be giving up on Teague. Could that team compete? I dunno
Rondo/Teague
JJ/Green
Gotta say one of the best backcourts in BB there
Frontcourt?
Marvin/TMac/Stack
Bass/Al when healthy/Ivan/Vlad
ZaZa/Damp/Collins
Umm, not the best Frontcourt, if you know what I mean.
I don’t know where you get a 5 or a 3 to help this team in exchange for Josh.
W.R. Terrell
March 8th, 2012
10:14 pm
Cry….cry….cryyyyyyyyyyyyyy…..if it has takened 8 years for a player to begin to reach their potential and you possibly think trading that player would be harmful to the HAWKS…then I got some beach front property about a quarter of a mile from a nuclear plant I wanna talk with you about…..you may be interested, it’s a damn good deal. Josh has been a big part of the HAWKS offense for years, the boy gets his share of shots. Sometimes he even does the spectacular.
This latest effort of supposedly carrying the team is about 50/50. I am reading that none of the other players stepped up against Miami. I wonder then how the game was so close if that’s the case or the last 3 wins. The trade deadline is coming up, other players are riding the injured list, hmmmm…a perfect time for volume shooting attempts, playing some “D” , puffing up the stats a tad and getting on the highlight reel may make a few teams drool. A trade better happen quickly because if you think this is gonna continue for the next 28 games. then we really need to talk about that beach front property
All of you folks who wanna trade AL, I need to talk with ya’ll about that property also. The HAWKS will be haunted for years if that trade is made. Eight years to begin to live up to potential…lololol….ohhhhhhhhhh k. Two good players and a future number one for Josh and call it a day. You can’t blame everything on coaching. The player has a lot to do with his own development also. It’s obvious that Josh will never reach his potential with the HAWKS no matter who the coach is soooooooooooooo thanks for the highlight reels. I got tired of seeing “PO” three years ago.
Melvin
March 8th, 2012
10:14 pm
I hope the Hawks organization is not stupid enough to trade their best player b/c they overpaid their other mediocre (core) players. Get rid of them before you trade away your only stud. Blow this team up and build around Josh and Teague (unless you can acquire a better PG).
IceColdATLien
March 8th, 2012
10:15 pm
darrell,
that was early in the season when it seemed he was a head case unworthy of dealing with. but now he’s putting up good numbers and not being such a child, you’ve noticed that those rumors aren’t recent anymore. I hope I’m wrong, for sure, and that we could somehow snag him… just don’t see it happening.
yoursporthouse.com
March 8th, 2012
10:17 pm
@Steve, 30 and 12, 24 and 19, 23 and 7…I guess he still doesn’t know his role.
SteveW
March 8th, 2012
10:18 pm
I wouldn’t mind adding Scola and Martin to this team…
IceColdATLien
March 8th, 2012
10:18 pm
drmaryb: “champions don’t win with PF’s playing Center”
Then I guess the Heat have no chance, huh?
yoursporthouse.com
March 8th, 2012
10:19 pm
W.R. Terrell,
8 years to live up to his potential? Ok and who was the number 2 pick in the draft and who was number 17? That’s the problem I have with Josh haters. The number 2 pick was not Josh Smith.
brigadierjerry
March 8th, 2012
10:19 pm
drmaryb,
salaries match on the first trade.Not sure about the second.
If these rumors are true, for some reason I can see the Hawks making a deal with either Boston, Okc or Golden State.
Blast
March 8th, 2012
10:19 pm
And a lot of teams are not gonna be willing to give up an All star player on a trade if they can help it. They will rather try and steal and mob from the team they are doing a trade with. So Hawks try to trade Josh, i just dont see many impact players teams will be willing to give up to get him, except if these teams are desperate.
We shall see.
Melvin
March 8th, 2012
10:20 pm
Clyde,
“Man quit catching feelings and play the game. ”
The guy came back from the offseason 25lbs less and leading the team this year while the other two (and only) All-Stars are having subpar performances and injured.
ntrigue
March 8th, 2012
10:20 pm
I think Joe Johnson created this rumor lol so he doesn’t have to share the ball with Josh giving him more time to dribble dribble and dribble some more LOL!
SteveW
March 8th, 2012
10:21 pm
Be reminded that Steve and SteveW are not the same
Najeh Davenpoop
March 8th, 2012
10:22 pm
“Josh and Marvin for Scola and K-Mart”
Scola is a 6′9″ PF/C and gets 6.5 rebounds per game. That is kind of sad.
I also read somewhere about how K-Mart is having one of his worst seasons in several years because they stopped calling fouls on the rip through move.
Marvin going the other way in that deal makes it somewhat enticing but the Rockets better throw in at least one pick.
darrell starks
March 8th, 2012
10:22 pm
IceColdATLien what about this trade, but the only thing about this one is Horford will continue to play center but reunite with his buddy David Lee.
Share your trade
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=8yojh67
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IceColdATLien
March 8th, 2012
10:22 pm
Anybody asking or wishing for monta ellis is simply a damn fool. There’s nothing worse in the east than an undersized volume-shooting 2 who can’t guard anybody, PGs or SGs. They can play that mess in the west with the uptempo, but as we’ve seen, LD ain’t gonna go uptempo EVER!!
In fact, I’m still waiting for that “revolutionary” offense LD was talking about last year. Ellis is as much of a fix as Kirk was last year… not even remotely enough.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
March 8th, 2012
10:24 pm
Problem with the Hawks is that the captains on the team are cry babies. Man up and quit complaining.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 8th, 2012
10:24 pm
The best deal I have seen here is Josh for Cousins, who would be the perfect center to play next to Al at PF. Of course, Cousins is a hundred times the head case Josh ever was.
darrell starks
March 8th, 2012
10:25 pm
STARTER TEAGUE, ELLIS, JOE, LEE, ZAZA UNTIL HORFORD IS READY.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!