Atlanta Hawks: Hawks said to pursue Josh Smith for Pau Gasol trade
According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, the Hawks have tired to trade forward Josh Smith for Lakers forward Pau Gasol.
Bresnahan tweeted that no deal is imminent. And a big caveat is that his report says the Hawks first expressed interest in Gasol after Los Angeles was eliminated from the playoffs by the Thunder, back when Rick Sund was still Hawks GM.
The Hawks have since hired GM Danny Ferry, who says he’s focused on building long term. Gasol turns 32 next week and is owed more than $38 million over the next two seasons.
Also, Bresnahan and ESPN’s Chad Ford reported the Lakers are open to trading Gasol for a high lottery pick and players, a price the Hawks can’t match.
The Rockets, who have been accumulating draft picks, could meet the Lakers’ price. Houston already tried to trade for Gasol as part of the infamous Chris Paul deal that was eventually nixed by NBA commissioner David Stern.
Update: Ford now says the Rockets aren’t pursuing Gasol.
Smith, who can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, first told the Hawks he wanted to be traded after last season and reiterated that desire prior to this season’s deadline. Smith wants to join a franchise he feels is more committed to winning and play in a market with better fan support.
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
588 comments Add your comment
Ray
June 27th, 2012
7:52 pm
@ Ra’mon
Thank you now I’m not saying Josh is untouchable, but I’ll be damned if we let him go for just Pau Gasol alone, and plus again Pau costs more we dumped off Josh and put ourselves over the tax line if I’m not mistaken at least.
The Josh Smith to Lakers or Houston need to stop 1) Lakers will rob us blind plus they want a draft pick.
2) Houston will also want more than just smith so again robbing us blind and they won’t be giving up draft picks like you think they’ll be using all those draft picks to get Dwight Howard so forget that.
Ray
June 27th, 2012
7:54 pm
@ TMACfan
Talking about calling out the fanbase I guess we all forgot about JOE JOHNSON MR. MAX CONTRACT CALLING OUT THE FANBASE ON NATIONAL T.V. Then the dumba***** want to resign him for 120 mil.
KevinM
June 27th, 2012
7:55 pm
Tell the Lakers to take Marvin too!
Seriously, you get Gasol, you have one less power forward trying to bring the ball up court, playing keep away from Teague.
TMACfan
June 27th, 2012
7:55 pm
@Ray
Exactly my man
Najeh Davenpoop
June 27th, 2012
7:56 pm
We already have one emotionless, declining, overpaid All Star who doesn’t make his teammates better and has a cap-clogging contract that makes it impossible to seriously contend. How can we improve? I know, let’s add another emotionless, declining, overpaid All Star who doesn’t make his teammates better and has a cap-clogging contract that makes it impossible to seriously contend!
If Danny Ferry and Bruce Levenson are serious about long term planning, this is a stupid move. If they only care about maintaining their six home playoff games’ worth of revenue and continuing to maintain the status quo, then it makes sense.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 27th, 2012
7:57 pm
I’d rather trade Josh and Marvin for Elton Brand and the #15 than for Gasol, and I don’t even think that’s a great trade. At least Brand is expiring and the #15 gives them a cheap building block.
Ra'mon
June 27th, 2012
7:58 pm
Ray, in my eyes, Lebron, Durant, Rose, and Griffin (because of marketing) are the only untouchables in the league. Any one else can be and should be traded for the right price.
Barton
June 27th, 2012
7:58 pm
Wait wait wait.. clearly we’re trying to sabotage a team by giving them Josh’s 19.5 footers. Why are we sending him out of our division?
Najeh Davenpoop
June 27th, 2012
8:02 pm
“So they called right after the playoffs, huh? I wonder if it was the technical foul from the scorer’s table, the lazy inbounds pass that Rondo stole, the poor decision to break off the designed play in game 6, the bad shot after busting the play or his decision not to meet with Sund 3 weeks after the season ended?”
So the Lakers want to trade Gasol, huh? I wonder if it was the 43% shooting as the 3rd option against defenders who were 4 inches shorter than him, the 12 points per game, getting punked physically by Kenneth Faried in the first round, or the horrendous crunch time pass right into James Harden’s hands for a game-icing fast break?
Lateral move in the short term, terrible move in the long term.
Barton
June 27th, 2012
8:06 pm
^^^ Well that pretty much explains it…
TMACfan
June 27th, 2012
8:08 pm
Najeh nailed it
terrell
June 27th, 2012
8:09 pm
Smoove MIGHT be the best player on the team, but i dont pay to see ONE person. I pay to see the TEAM. Giving up your season tickets if Josh is traded is just dumb imo. But to each his own. Btw, you do know we might lose him for nothng right?
Mike Fratellos Evil Twin
June 27th, 2012
8:10 pm
Josh is the closest thing to a COMPLETE player we have. RUGGED and dependable are his trademarks on the defensive end. Offensively he often comes up with more empty shots than shooter girls at the Cheetah. That can be corrected with coaching. Hate to say it…….but like Buzz Lightyear……sometimes I miss my Woody!
And speakin of Woody…….
Would he be talkin about leaving if we had a real coach?
Would he take less stupid shots if we ran more creative offense sets?
Would he slash to the basket more if we played a high post Center (Horfords Jumper is the truth!)?
Would he win an MVP in Houston or LA?
Would he just shut up and play basketball if Atlanta just appreciated a black man with an attitude?
Ferry……..if you move Josh…..you better get somethin for him because people in this town remember the Dominique Trade!
Lightning sometimes strikes twice and the shock goes both ways. I don’t envy you Mr. Ferry. A value based franchise that shares the ball??????
Hmmmm. Nobody fills up the stat sheet like JOSH!
KevinM
June 27th, 2012
8:11 pm
With this Laker rumor goes the thought that since LD is on a short leash, will Ferry try to supply him with viable assets to win now?
The GM needs to build for the long term, and Pau is not long term.
We are late in getting him when we had all those years without him.
It can’t just be this one move going into the season, so we have to watch it develop.
And I don’t think any draft pick gets significant time with LD this year. He’s not developing on his short clock.
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:12 pm
Stupid deal. Trade Josh to Houston for a lot of picks. Gasol is soft and he’s redundant to Horford.
Sautee
June 27th, 2012
8:15 pm
“Lateral move in the short term, terrible move in the long term.” – Najeh
I respect your view, but to me, it’s only a terrible long term move if they were to re-sign a 33 year old Gasol( he’s still only 31) in two years. I could foresee letting Gasol expire, and moving Joe in two seasons and having all that cap room you’ve been asking for. And hopefully, drafting and developing a big during that time to take his place.
Also, when you are losing your best player, isn’t a lateral move likely the best mitigation you’ll get from the situation? How many teams lose their best player and come out ahead?
skyhawk1
June 27th, 2012
8:15 pm
I’d love to see Kobe’s face watching Smith taking one 20fter after another lol
Just Joe
June 27th, 2012
8:20 pm
If Josh and Marvin for Gasol is the best trade available, then I’m all for it. Think about it this way too. When Gasol gets more touches in the East this year, his trade value could go way up. Gasol put up 17 & 10 this year playing the high post. When he gets back on the block, he’ll average 20 & 10 for us easy.
Slimjr
June 27th, 2012
8:21 pm
We need picks! More Picks!!
Not two soft front line Bigs…
It would be a terrible trade….
terrell
June 27th, 2012
8:23 pm
Trade LD 1st. He’s gotta be shaking in his boots right now,. I mean shaking in his Sunday suit. lol. Bless his heart. I’m pretty sure Marvin cold care less if he’s traded or not. He’s just happy to get a check.
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:24 pm
Fire Danny Ferry
SuckerFree
June 27th, 2012
8:24 pm
Gasol has absolutely no heart. Think we were a listless team before….just wait for Pau Gasol. Philips will be very empty and the Hawks will be a snooze fest. Add on to that that we won’t win very many games.
Gasol is 32 (an old 32 at that) and needs a heart transplant. He is finished. Add on to that he set to make 38 million over the next two years???? Don’t we already have that guy on the roster??? Oh yeah…his name is Joe Johnson. Equally listless and disappointing.
I’d rather let Josh go for free than to be stuck with Pau Gasoft for two years. Gasol makes the team worse….significantly and doesn’t help the cap situation either.
Someone did the trade machine…..we lose an estimated 7 games. In reality it would be more like 12 games because Gasol will get hurt (he’s 32) and some games he just won’t show up (no heart).
KevinM
June 27th, 2012
8:25 pm
Gasol in the East gets him an all-star nod before all-star Al or Josh.
Gasol = Bosh, so we only have 2 stars to go.
Josh in LA = Brown > LD…..no jumpers flying around out there like in the ATL.
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:26 pm
Just for bring part of a stupid ass rumor. I was cool with Marvin for the 7th pick but this is terrible.
Gasol is regressing, a PF, soft minded, worse contract, not a #1 option. This is some garbage. I rather no trade at all.
MistaGamer
June 27th, 2012
8:27 pm
Just Joe – That’s some pretty wishful thinking.
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:27 pm
Bosh is better than Gasol and Josh is better than Gasol. Gasol will not be an All Star on the Hawks.
KevinM
June 27th, 2012
8:30 pm
Kidd-Gilchrist compared to Scottie Pippen on ESPN.
That’s the rookie I want to go for. Sac-town is probably low enough.
Can MKG slow down LeBron at any point in the season?
No Mas Pau Gasol
June 27th, 2012
8:31 pm
Pau Gasol is a scrub.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 27th, 2012
8:31 pm
” I could foresee letting Gasol expire, and moving Joe in two seasons and having all that cap room you’ve been asking for. And hopefully, drafting and developing a big during that time to take his place.”
But what happens in those two seasons? If the Hawks are going to blow it up and have cap room in two years to rebuild, what are they waiting for? Where are Joe and Gasol going to lead this team? Is there anyone here who seriously thinks Teague-Joe-Marvin-Al-Gasol can beat the Heat?
My biggest problem with this trade is that Gasol isn’t going to make this team a serious contender. Everything else would be worth it if he was the missing piece to put this team over the top. But he just finished the year as the 3rd best player on a 2nd round team. Why is he going to bring this team to the conference finals or farther as the best player on the team? That’s what nobody has explained to me yet.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 27th, 2012
8:33 pm
I guess that should be Teague-Joe-(insert SF here)-Al-Gasol in the post above, since Marvin would be a part of a Josh for Gasol trade.
In a vacuum, Gasol is a marginally better player than Josh. Is he two playoff rounds better? In my opinion, not even close. And that doesn’t even account for the fact that he doesn’t fit nearly as well in a front court with Al as he does with Bynum.
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:33 pm
Najeh, no one will explain it because this trade is only favorable for the Lakers and brain-dead human beings. This is written by a LA Times writer and is probably not even real. I seriously doubt Atlanta wants anything to do with Gasol who is not a center, soft, and regressing with a bad contract.
Just Joe
June 27th, 2012
8:36 pm
MistaGamer…I don’t see it as wishful at all. Gasol has averaged 10+ boards per game the last 3 years, so that part is a given to me. Now, 20 pts per game is based on increased usage as the primary scorer for the Hawks. Horford is obviously better suited for the high post. But I’ll take 18 pts on 50%+ shooting though. It doesn’t have to be 20. If he’s hitting those numbers, but the Hawks are struggling, then you better bet a playoff contender will come calling at the trade deadline.
random
June 27th, 2012
8:36 pm
Air Zaza stop hating lmao thats all you doing
Najeh Davenpoop
June 27th, 2012
8:36 pm
To take that argument to a logical extreme, if you traded Josh for Bosh, is this team a title contender? Bosh was the 3rd best player on the NBA champions, and I’d still have a hard time seeing a team led by Teague-Joe-Bosh-Al getting that far.
Astro Joe
June 27th, 2012
8:37 pm
Ra’mon, surely a commentator (even a HOF player) should not dictate roster composition. Imagine if a comparable commentator called the Hawks stupid, then what? If a friend says your car sucks, do you go out and buy a new car? Hopefully not. Again, one roster move does not mean that the makeover is complete.
Sautee
June 27th, 2012
8:38 pm
“My biggest problem with this trade is that Gasol isn’t going to make this team a serious contender” – Najeh
OK, if we begin with the premise that for asset management’s sake Josh must be traded before he walks, then who do you think we COULD trade Josh for that would make us a serious contender?
Slimjr
June 27th, 2012
8:39 pm
LA will screw Atlanta and it would hurt….
Do not do this Danny….
random
June 27th, 2012
8:40 pm
slim i dont think this deal could happen tbh, but its just something to think about
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:40 pm
This is the type of deals GM’s get fired over. We didn’t Ferry to intimate Billy Knight.
Slimjr
June 27th, 2012
8:41 pm
Agree Bosh> Gasol… And much younger too..
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:41 pm
Sautee, you know damn well that we can get a better deal than this anytime. If Gasol is the best deal we can get, keep Josh till the ASB or keep him for the whole run. Pau Gasol is a terrible acquisition for the Atlanta Hawks.
skyhawk1
June 27th, 2012
8:41 pm
Zaza’s real age ?
random
June 27th, 2012
8:42 pm
air zaza at least its something for christsake, did u want to have another boring summer of no major trade talks? Something needs to happen to this core regardless if it hurts or make us better.
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:43 pm
It’s always the fools like skyhawk1 who ask stupid questions. Shut up and go play with in hell with Satan’s minions.
Slimjr
June 27th, 2012
8:43 pm
Miami 19-4 last 2 post seasons with Bosh in the Starting lineup! He is pretty good. In fact he’s underrated like Josh by many basketball fans…….Yes?
Najeh Davenpoop
June 27th, 2012
8:43 pm
“OK, if we begin with the premise that for asset management’s sake Josh must be traded before he walks, then who do you think we COULD trade Josh for that would make us a serious contender?”
I don’t think there is anyone realistically available in exchange for Josh who will immediately make this team a serious contender, which is why (under your premise) he and at least one or two other “core” pieces should be traded for picks and cap space and the entire team should be blown up. I’d rather be a lottery team in 2013 and a title contender in 2017 than a first or second round team in 2013 and a title contender never. In particular, I think building a team around Joe as a #1 or #2 option at this point in his career is an exercise in futility.
Jake
June 27th, 2012
8:45 pm
I dont blame Smith. If i played for atlanta i would want out too. This fanbase sucks. Everytime i go to a game there is 50% hawks fans 50% other team fans. Remember josh has been playing for 10 years in the NBA. Most players play 14 years. His time is almost up…
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:45 pm
I rather nothing. Garbage proposals have never done anyone any good. Seeing stupid deal like this just being proposed is why the Atlanta Hawks are the Atlanta Hawks. Put our name in the Dwight sweepstakes and the deal is heavily in favor of Orlando but with everyone else, their team wins.
Jake
June 27th, 2012
8:48 pm
Correct myself 8 Seasons counting next season***
Air Zaza
June 27th, 2012
8:49 pm
The Hawks should move to Seattle, better yet move this team to hell. With the proposals alone, this team has ruin any plans of me watching them in person this year. I never here the Falcons are looking to trade Roddy White to land an aging Derrick Mason and a 1st. Stupidity in even proposals lowers the value. You see Houston. LA tried to say they want Gasol, Houston came out ASAP and said hell naw. Made their fanbase feel good. The Hawks, no, not a damn word.