Atlanta Hawks: Danny Ferry focused on salary cap ‘flexibility’ with trades
The word new Hawks GM Danny Ferry kept using after the draft Thursday was “flexibility” and nothing would create it more than trading guard Joe Johnson’s contract for players with shorter deals.
The Hawks were not close to any trades as of this afternoon, according to a person with knowledge of their plans, but talks are fluid. They’ve continued discussions with the Nets about Johnson, and clearly Brooklyn (feels weird to write that) has plenty of expiring contracts to offer in return.
Update 4:55 p.m.: ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reports that a discussed proposal would have the Nets sending Atlanta Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Anthony Morrow and Jordan Williams. According to Stein, the Hawks are insisting that former Tucker High star MarShon Brooks be included in the deal while Brooklyn would rather Atlanta take on one of its free agents in a sign-and-trade.
Stein also reports the Nets won’t make the trade until free agent guard Deron Williams commits to re-signing. Williams reportedly will meet with Brooklyn and Dallas tomorrow.
The Hawks could swing a deal that leaves them with massive amounts of cap space next summer. The Nets also have about $4.4 million in trade exceptions available, which function as a credit to be used against the salary-matching requirements. That means the Hawks could take back significantly less salary in a trade with the Nets.
It’s still possible all of this trade talk leads to no deals now and the Hawks wait until later in the summer or next season to pursue trades. But already it’s clear that Ferry is willing to trade a piece of the team’s proverbial “core” in an effort to gain cap space to re-build the roster.
In addition to Johnson, the Hawks have been open to moving forward Josh Smith though they’ve resisted offers so far. Apparently the Hawks balked at a potential deal with the Lakers for Pau Gasol because L.A. wanted another major piece to go along with Smith. That would leave the Hawks with less than six players under contract, less talent, and no short-term cap relief because of the $38 million and two years remaining on Gasol’s contract.
Before Ferry was hired, Smith told the Hawks he wants to be traded to a franchise he considers to be more committed to winning a championship. There’s been no indication that Smith has changed his mind after Ferry’s hire, which does nothing to placate Smith’s desire to also play in what he believes to be a better sports market. Smith’s contract expires after next season.
Ferry said he plans to meet with Smith soon.
“I have talked to Josh, and we agreed to get together,” he said. “It was a positive conversation.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
Follow ajchawks on Twitter.
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
564 comments Add your comment
Grandad
July 1st, 2012
7:09 pm
Well, thanks, nc.
I appreciate that.
Don`t get sacked on 3rd & long.
SuckerFree
July 1st, 2012
7:10 pm
If Danny Ferry manages to trade Joe Johnson we will rename the Philips Arena to Ferry Arena. GUARANTEED
northcyde
July 1st, 2012
7:15 pm
I forgot to add New Jersey/Brooklyn in that “blow up” list
Brooklyn – 5 consecutive losing seasons with the “blow up” starting 3 years ago. Was able to flip Jason Kidd for Devin Harris who got them Deron Williams. But if they can’t land Howard, they may lose everything and have to start back over.
northcyde
July 1st, 2012
7:18 pm
Getting sacked on 3rd and long means I have to punt anyway. Rather try to pick up 3rd and long to keep the drive going, then just giving up the possession quickly with a quick-kick.
bigdave
July 1st, 2012
7:22 pm
if we traded Joe and Josh to Orlando, he’d just sign back there as a F/A next year…
The Real cp
July 1st, 2012
7:24 pm
If you can get Gerald Green, Brooks, and a first rounder then I think you have to take that deal. Even without Joe I think the Hawks can make the playoffs and have more money to go after free agents.
northcyde
July 1st, 2012
7:28 pm
Big Dave . . . that’s fine. Hawks will be in blow-up mode anyway.
That’s what people want, right? To blow it up and start over?
Who cares if we give Orlando 2 major pieces in the process. We won’t be good for years anyway, while we’re rebuilding the team.
tjhook
July 1st, 2012
7:30 pm
Danny Ferry and the Hawks are so locked into trading Johnson to the Nets, have they ever consider trading him to the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have the big contract of Stephen Jackson and a couple of other spare pieces (Tiago Splitter, Matt Bonner) that could be attractive for us. They also would possibly consider giving us Ginobelli (probrably not) but they are in their window and could use another big man. I personally would trade Horford and Teague to the Spurs for Tony Parker but MC, ask the Hawks why they are not putting out more feelers to the league especially to contending teams?
SuckerFree
July 1st, 2012
7:33 pm
Hawks fans are not the worst….one only has to look to the 2007 playoffs as an indicator. Team had a losing record, made the playoffs, and had sellouts. That’s when the team had promise.
It’s only been bad since we’ve smelt those rats. One rat was the Joe Johnson contract. No one in the world liked that contract and everyone in the world knew we weren’t going very far Another rat was resigning Marvin Williams (Not actually drafting him) trying to validate his #2 selection. Then it was trading away draft picks for old guys.
The Hawks have been severely mismanaged the past half decade and change. Danny Ferry’s already executive of the year. The Hawks have NEVER been in this many trade talks.
Michael Cunningham
July 1st, 2012
7:34 pm
@tjhook: “MC, ask the Hawks why they are not putting out more feelers to the league especially to contending teams?”
they are talking to lots of teams.
Astro Joe
July 1st, 2012
7:36 pm
cp, Gerald Green is a UFA.
Well, I wouldn;t take Harden at $16M over Joe at $16M. I don;t get the hype about Harden at all. I’d need to see if he could score without Durand and Westbrook taking the bulk of the defensive attention before assuming that he could go from Hawkeye to Iron Man (he’s not even Thor in OKC).
Hawks need to close this Joe deal in the next day or two, before the better UFAs are off the market. I don’t mind reloading but I have no desire to watch rebuilding. Sell soon and then quickly get into buying mode before we’re left wondering if Mo Evans can give us 10 PPG as a starting SG.
bigdave
July 1st, 2012
7:39 pm
i do think there’s a sensible way to go about rebuilding your club without assuring yourself at best 3rd seed in your division. I’m enjoying our powers that be playing shrewd deal maker.. let’s leave the sucka role to whomever we can unload Joe’s contract on…
this “core” has run its course.
bigdave
July 1st, 2012
7:42 pm
Yea, Harden was exposed a bit… I think he has a ways to go before he can be the #1 option…
Mike
July 1st, 2012
7:43 pm
so MC, so your opinion do you think that Joe Johnson will be on the squad next year?
bigdave
July 1st, 2012
7:44 pm
And Northcyde… that’s 3rd for the next 10 years
The Real cp
July 1st, 2012
7:45 pm
Astro I thought one of their free agents were mentioned. I figured they would sign and trade one with the other guys. Thats why I mentioned Green. He can be signed and traded to the Hawks right? If im wrong then scratch out Green.
Just Joe
July 1st, 2012
7:50 pm
Rockets give Asik a $5M, $5M, $15M contract (3 yrs $25M total).
Astro Joe
July 1st, 2012
7:53 pm
cp, gotcha.
Joe D
July 1st, 2012
7:54 pm
I still think if the Hawks can jettison Marvin and his contract; they could make a legitimate run at the ECF or NBA finals. Marvin’s draft position has caused the Hawks to play him over Zaza which has clearly been a huge mistake. Not only has it retarded Zaza development, but Josh’s as well. If Josh had been moved to SF a couple years ago, he would be an All Star SF by now.
Josh, Al, and particularly Zaza are all solid offense rebounders. The team has not been able to develop naturally. Trading JJ DOES NOT make this team better; it makes different, period! The Nets are clearly not going to add Lopez which is the one position that the Hawks need deperately. So the Hawks will take marginal players, a player with POTENTIAL (Brooks, he’s from the Atlanta), or Humpries, and cap space. DOES this trade make the Hawks better, NO!
Find a way to dump or amnesty Marvin. Move Josh to SF and make him the featured player. He becomes BATMAN and JJ becomes ROBIN his natural role. If the team does not progress, all the trades concerning JJ, Josh, and Al can be worked. Keep the core excluding Marvin for one more year!
Resign Ivan and Dampier as bench Bigs and vets mins in supporting roles.
GA Hawks!
Grandad
July 1st, 2012
7:55 pm
nc
I do not think the Hawks / Danny Ferry are in “blow up” mode.
When a team has assets; one manages those assets.
Joe [a liability] must be disposed.
-example-
When the housing mkt crashed … people were forced
to sell their homes.
In doing so [a necessity] they would be *upside down …
on the house payments as related to the value.
*[owed more than the house was worth]
When their hse sold the owner would have to go to the closing
with $ cash.
In other words the owners were getting back less than they owed.
Therefore they had to pay some from their own pocket;
in many cases alot from their own pocket.
Back to Joe vs Josh:
Joe is a liability – we may have to take some $ cash
to the “closing table”. (so to speak)
Josh is an asset – When & if Mr Ferry decides to trade Josh;
he should expect to leave the “closing table”
with some $$$ in his pocket (so to speak).
In other words – get a return on his asset.
Bottom line = we should not have to blow it up !
Just Joe
July 1st, 2012
7:56 pm
6 players last year had a defensive rebounding rate > 25% and offensive rebounding rate > 12%.
Cousins, Camby, Asik, Verejao, Gray, and Evans.
Aaron Gray is a little surprising.
Michael Cunningham
July 1st, 2012
7:56 pm
@Mike: “so MC, so your opinion do you think that Joe Johnson will be on the squad next year?”
haha, who can predict that?
WHEN ARE THEY MOVING ?????
July 1st, 2012
8:03 pm
SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON MOVING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHO CARES ABOUT THIS NOTHING TEAM ???
FEEL SORRY FOR THOSE THUG FANS WHO DO !!!! WHAT A WASTE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jerry West
July 1st, 2012
8:04 pm
Joe D…
… as in Joe Dumars? Seriously, that was the kinda logic that leads one to give big deals to Charlie V and Ben Gordon like Dumars did.
Marvin’s the problem? Marvin has stunted Zaza’s growth? Josh an All Star 3? Wow. LMAO.
Grandad
July 1st, 2012
8:06 pm
As opposed to Harden: (nothing against him)
I would rather take a run at 0J Mayo.
-reasoning-
Mayo probably would take less $ to sign.
Mayo & Teaguer = two combo guards.
Mayo great pick & roll guard.
Teaguer better defense on opponent pg.
[divergent skills]
Mainly – Mayo should not tie up so much $.
TMACfan
July 1st, 2012
8:07 pm
I can’t believe the amount of people here who are hating on Joe Johnson. Sure his contract is way too expensive but he took this team from abysmal to playoff squad. At least respect what he did. I swear he get’s more heat from the fans than Dwight Howard.
Grandad
July 1st, 2012
8:10 pm
MC
Do you think we`ll hear something this eve ?
-concerning Joe to Brooklyn being finalized-
EmirS.
July 1st, 2012
8:10 pm
No Brooks or Humphries = no go on the trade. That simple. I doubt they will involve Wallace. However, I believe for a good trade scenario to take place…a third team will need to be involved.
TMACfan
July 1st, 2012
8:11 pm
Bulls’ system allowed just 97.6 points per 100 possessions with Asik off court. That’s great. With him on? 89.7. 8 POINTS BETTER THAN GREAT.
mykhalc
July 1st, 2012
8:13 pm
@MC…NJ can’t trade Wallace for specified period of time since he just signed a new contract, rite???
Sautee
July 1st, 2012
8:16 pm
Grandad,
Some reports have the Nets waiting to hear from Deron before pulling the trigger on Joe.
He meets with the Nets and the Mavs tomorrow. We may not know until tomorrow night, or even sometime Tuesday.
Grandad
July 1st, 2012
8:22 pm
TMACfan
No one is hating Joe.
Do not compare the man to D.Howard !
Joe is a good guy – who could never live up to his contract.
D.Howard has lost his mind.
-or-
somethin` ?
He is obviously being managed / controlled / advised by ass-wits
leaving Dwight the victim of his naivete.
____________________________________________
I do not think anyone dislikes Joe as a person.
-and-
if he should leave;
we ought to treat him with the respect he deserves.
Astro Joe
July 1st, 2012
8:22 pm
No thanks to Wallace. Give me whatever King is offering plus a ‘14 top 5 protected draft pick and let’s get this thing moving.
G’dad, Mayo would be at the top of my list also (of the UFA SGs). I liked the way he handled his “demotion” last year, he showed nice maturity. I don’t think he is as good as they made him out to be coming out of the draft but I do think he has a good skill set at what would likely be a good price (I’m thinking around $6M).
Harry Hawk
July 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
If Ferry can get rid of Joe’s contract and get more than one useful piece in return, he will have earned my respect.
Grandad
July 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
Sautee
Gotcha … wishful thinkin` has me on the Edge 0` My Seat !
TMACfan
July 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
@Grandad, thanks for clearing that up.
I hope all Hawks fans treat him well when he comes back to Philips IF he gets traded.
TMACfan
July 1st, 2012
8:27 pm
Man Chicago has the best attendance and even they won’t go into the luxury tax.
northcyde
July 1st, 2012
8:42 pm
If Asik is worth 8 mill a year, does that mean that Zaza is worth 10 mill a year? Because to me, Zaza is better than Asik.
northcyde
July 1st, 2012
8:44 pm
And that means these owners learned NOTHING from the lockout . . or it was all a ruse to get the players to take less money in the first place. They’re still spending money out of control on mediocre talent.
Buddy Grizzard
July 1st, 2012
8:47 pm
“. . or it was all a ruse to get the players to take less money in the first place.”
DING DING DING!
Big Ray
July 1st, 2012
8:48 pm
Some folks are gonna hate it, but Astro Joe is right. Josh is exceedingly talented, but is NOT a team leader (lack of focus) and can’t be built around anymore than Joe can (though for different reasons).
That, and he wants out. Could this be made to work? Yeah, if you rewind back a couple of years and un-name him as a team captain….
STRETCH
July 1st, 2012
8:51 pm
“Josh is exceedingly talented, but is NOT a team leader (lack of focus) and can’t be built around anymore than Joe can (though for different reasons).”
My point for the last 3 years. But somehow they wanted to put a C on his chest???!
Joe D
July 1st, 2012
8:51 pm
Jerry West,
Zaza at the age 21 was the Hawks starting Center and he averaged 12 pts and 9 rebounds. It is only logical to conclude he would have developed if allowed to play. He will never be a great shot blocker, but neither was Bill Lamibeer. Lamibeer was a solid robounder, decent scorer with a mi-range shot, and enforcer. Now, does Zaza remind you of anyone?
Josh has improved his game every year in the league. He played both SF and PF with the Atlanta Celtics and in high school. It is only logical to conclude if moved to SF and coached that his game would develop.
WOW!
Big Ray
July 1st, 2012
9:00 pm
Big Dave . . . that’s fine. Hawks will be in blow-up mode anyway.
That’s what people want, right? To blow it up and start over?
How does this always turn into a “it’s the damn fans’ fault” – sounding thing with you, LOL?
Anyway….
The fact is, we just can’t get un-f@cked without basically blowing up the team to some degree. I realize some are going to be sick to their little stomachs about losing Joe Johnson, but that’s life.
It’s too late. The organization FAILED to build via the draft, FAILED to build via free agency, and has put itself into a corner with Joe’s contract, mediocre coaching, bad asset management, etc.
Now I’m sure that in a perfect fairy tale world, somebody has the solution to all of this on this blog. But I find it odd that very aware, very intelligent folks haven’t seen this one coming for some time now. It’s either this or continue in the same vein we are right now….has nothing to do with what the fans want, and never has….
tjhook
July 1st, 2012
9:01 pm
MC,
I am in the minority of people wanting to trade Joe Johnson before the season. I was in favor of keeping the team intact and bringing in a veteran point guard (Andre Miller?) because the team is competitive enough to beat the best teams in the East if they execute better. What do you believe the chances are that Ferry will allow Drew to keep the team core as is by the time the season starts? I personally think we should amnesty Marvin and bring in two players under his old salary.
Rufus1
July 1st, 2012
9:05 pm
Ferry does’t want Gerald Green…
Brooks would be nice, but Ferry must have a serious plan…. I want to see it.
Jerry West
July 1st, 2012
9:12 pm
Joe D,
Dude, Zaza’s best 2 years were with Marvin on the team. If anything cut into Zaza’s growth it was Horford’s arrival (not that I’m complaining about Al). And after that, you had a couple years where it looked like Woody and LD forgot he was on the team (until the 2011 playoffs).
Josh is best-suited to be a PF in the NBA. Damn what he did in HS or AAU.
The Real cp
July 1st, 2012
9:12 pm
I would take Gerald Green over a few guys we had on the bench last season. If someone is willing to take that bad contract off your hands I dont see how Gerald Green would be that much of a issue to take back. . Dude can play the 2 and 3. Finishes at the rim and can knock down the 3. If we cant get this deal done because Ferry doesnt want Green then I dont know what to say. Green would be a nice option to have on the bench and he could start if need be. Brooks, Green, and a first rounder is a good deal to me.
Just Joe
July 1st, 2012
9:19 pm
So if Green insists on a 4 yr $20M deal, do you give it to him just to complete the deal? The man is a free agent. He’s got to look out for himself.
The Real cp
July 1st, 2012
9:29 pm
I dont think Green gets that kind of deal but ehhh I guess.