The Josh Smith trade rumors: I’m not buying any of them – yet
Once and future teammates? Not so fast, my friend. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The volume on the Josh Smith trade rumors has been cranked up to 11 — “Spinal Tap” joke — and somebody needs to dial it down. I nominate … myself.
It has been reported that the Hawks are gauging interest in Smith ahead of tonight’s NBA draft, which only makes sense. It has also been reported that Smith wants out of Atlanta, which I’m not sure is the case, and has even submitted a list of teams he wouldn’t mind joining. (The list, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, includes Boston, Houston, Orlando and New Jersey.)
Smoove-related speculation has been running the highest in Orlando, where Smith’s best friend (meaning Dwight Howard) plays, and Boston. Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that discussions between the Hawks and the Magic are “totally legit.” But now we ask: Other than Howard himself, who among Magic men would the Hawks want?
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel notes that, not counting Howard, Orlando really has only “four tradable assets” — Jameer Nelson, Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson and J.J. Redick. If the Hawks trade Smith for any combination of those, Rick Sund is nuts. And whatever else you might think of the Hawks’ general manager, he gives the impression of being a pillar of sanity.
And there’s no way the Magic are trying to deal Howard for Smith. It’s way too early for that. At this stage Orlando GM Otis Smith is seeking to assuage his big man’s doubts that his team is serious about winning a title, and what better way to placate Howard than to add his old Atlanta Celtics wingman?
As for Boston: A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE reports that the Celtics have had “no discussions” with the Hawks. Again, it’s hard to find a trade match for Smith on that roster. Kevin Garnett is scheduled to make $21 million next season, or roughly $9 million more than Smith will. As Blakely writes, Ray Allen is only under contract for one more year at $10 million and might be seen as a replacement for Jamal Crawford, who’s apt to leave as a free agent. But do you want to swap a 25-year-old power forward for a 35-year-old shooting guard?
The belief here is that the Hawks will have a tougher time than many think finding a trade match for Smith. He’s far too gifted to give away, but his excesses have become so well known that a good team isn’t apt to disrupt its rotation to make room for him.
This isn’t to say a trade can’t happen. It very well could. (It has been suggested that a third team might be needed to make a deal with the Magic work.) I’d be surprised if it happens today or this month, though.
By Mark Bradley
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160 comments Add your comment
superiorblogman
June 23rd, 2011
10:38 am
A sleeper deal that we probably do not have the sense to orchestrate is below:
Hawks get Bogut and 4.3 million trade exception from Phoenix
Phoenix gets Josh Smith and Zaza
Bucks get Gortat and Pietrus
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=5sy6usv
Holy Cow
June 23rd, 2011
10:38 am
@hmmmm – It’s always that Smith is gonna be good in (insert #) of years. Are we gonna wait forever to realize he’s not going to put it all together? I don’t want to give him away for other teams’ garbage, but just because he can jump and dunk doesn’t make him a winner. A 25 year old with 7 years in the league shouldn’t be dependent on a coach at this point. He ought to figure out for himself what his strong suits are and play to them. Standing at the three point line and chunking up bricks aint it. As for you folks that talk about his playing hard and defensive intensity, how do you explain those occasions when he doesn’t even bother to run down court on defense? The guy just doesn’t get it. What a waste of talent.
PnottHead
June 23rd, 2011
10:39 am
Its pie in the sky, but a Horford (and any ancillary player) for Howard would the shot in the arm the Hawks need. Problem is the Magic will not trade him in the same division to face him four times a year. I’ve never heard Howard speak “warmly” about Atlanta, he does not say “I loved the Hawks growing up” or “It has been my dream to play in my hometown”. Being a homer myself i think we have a few assets in our favor, his buddy Josh is here, and he could come here and be the “Man” instantly because JJ certainly does not want to wear that title. And we would instantly compete with Miami, Chicago and NY for the East. Him going to LA is so “been there, done that” and I feel he could make just as much endorsement $$ here as anywhere because we live in such a technologically connected world. If he were to get the Hawks to the finals (with a lineup of Howard,Smith,JJ,Marvin,Teague) I think it could happen. But at the end of the day just dont trade Horford or JS for spare parts.
teamguy
June 23rd, 2011
10:39 am
We would know a lot more about Josh Smith’s ability as a basketball player if he had a real basketball coach, which he hasn’t had to present. If his work ethic is so bad, discipline lacking as reported, attitude negative, a real coach would fix that over time. He’s the best, most gifted player on this team. .no one else is close, not even Horford.
you
June 23rd, 2011
10:40 am
I think “me” needs a hug…
Michael "Crocodile Tears" Gearon, Jr.
June 23rd, 2011
10:41 am
Hey, Hawks fans. Keep this under your hat, but we’ve already agreed to trade Josh Smith to the Lakers for Kobe Bryant, who has decided to take his talents to South Fulton. With our new core of Marvin Williams, Hilton Armstrong, and Etan Thomas, with Kobe as a dominant 6th man, we expect to raise a few banners in the coming years.
1-800-HAWKS-TIX
Remarkable
June 23rd, 2011
10:41 am
Trade Al Horford for Dwight Howard? Great Idea! Throw in Marvin Williams and this could work. Heck, give them a draft pick too, just make it a No. 1 for a No. 2. If they can sign aging Jamal Crawford and throw him into the mix it would make Orlando think they got a great deal.
MistaGamer
June 23rd, 2011
10:42 am
Question: If Josh was hoisting up bricks from 3 pt land, what was our $120M+ “max-player, superstar” doing then?
PLZ
June 23rd, 2011
10:44 am
I want any combo of this to happen. Trade to CHI, for Noah, Deng and whoever else for JJ and Marvin. Turnaround and trad Noah and Horford to Orlando for Howard.
Holy Cow
June 23rd, 2011
10:46 am
@MistaGamer – You expect your SG to shoot 3s. You don’t expect your PF hoist up 3s. You expect him to play down in the low post, and rebound. JJ surely is not a superstar and I wish we could unload him but criticising someone else still doesn’t change the fact that Smith is a huge waste of talent.
Mike R.
June 23rd, 2011
10:49 am
If Josh improved his handle, shot and decision-making he’d be LeBron with an attitude. Yes, it’s a lot and he’ll likely never get there. But still, you don’t trade that away that much talent on things that are coachable. You just take the time to find the right coach.
Wayne
June 23rd, 2011
10:56 am
J. Mcgee and one of their firsts (6/18) for J. Smith…heck maybe we could even get Jordan Crawford back
J-nonSmooth
June 23rd, 2011
11:07 am
Josh Smith is half of a Tracy McGrady…and Tracy McGrady couldn’t help the Raptors or the Rockets win. Same brand of ball, same cancer to their teams….lose him…I’d pay Josh Smith to leave…
ryan
June 23rd, 2011
11:07 am
Yea a lot people seem to like this trade idea of Al Horford and JJ and maybe throw in Marvin Williams for Howard and Gilbert Arneas .
mountain_jim
June 23rd, 2011
11:08 am
I have no faith in Sund getting good enough value for a trade of Smith.
I know for me personally the team would be a lot less exciting to watch without him, as the ’star’ is a total snooze and no one else except maybe Teague (who they sit on the bench) brings the excitement that puts folks in the seats.
I hope they find a way to trade Marvin and Hinritch for a C instead.
J-nonSmooth
June 23rd, 2011
11:09 am
My bad – I meant Magic or Rockets….Raptors was with Vincanity
stevie zero
June 23rd, 2011
11:10 am
call me hungover but…. could adding a howard make joe johnson the threat/star weve been waiting for??
Remarkable
June 23rd, 2011
11:10 am
PLZ I want any combo of this to happen. Trade to CHI, for Noah, Deng and whoever else for JJ and Marvin. Turnaround and trad Noah and Horford to Orlando for Howard.
That might work if we hadn’t signed JJ to the worst contract in the NBA.
Remarkable
June 23rd, 2011
11:13 am
ryan Yea a lot people seem to like this trade idea of Al Horford and JJ and maybe throw in Marvin Williams for Howard and Gilbert Arneas .
Who would like that in Atlanta? Besides once again, JJ can’t be traded because of his outrageous contract. Try again.
mountain_jim
June 23rd, 2011
11:13 am
If the Hawks had hired a coach with a backbone and some credibility in Josh’s career things could have been much different. Woody was clueless and Drew is spineless.
Common Sense
June 23rd, 2011
11:14 am
Im gonna throw out a deal that probably wont happen but Josh Smith and a salary cap filler for Oden and Batum, Smith could play the three with aldridge at the four and camby at the 5. Not to mention Hawks could move marvin to the bench play Batum at the 3 and insert a risky but solid player when healthy at the 5 with Oden.
teague
JJ
Batum
Horford
Oden
I like it
Trading Horford is the answer
June 23rd, 2011
11:20 am
Mark Bradley, you would actually consider trading Al Horford. Wow, I’m stunned.
I really think it’s unfair that Josh Smith gets so much crap from the media. Whether you like it or not, there is no other player on the Hawks roster that makes the team go like he does. What’s even more unfair is that even with his overwhelming 2 three point attempts a game (granted he doesn’t hit them), he still was ther most effective scorer (his stats don’t lie). As much crap he takes for taking 3 points, I feel Horford should get the same amount of heat for not having a post game. Especially since he and his daddy want to cry about him playing center (although he was an All-Star center). Trading away Josh Smith’s production only make sense if the Hawks are trying to become a lottery team.
Chris
June 23rd, 2011
11:22 am
Josh Smith is the best player on the Hawks. He is the entire defense and has the most talent. Trading for anything less than equal value would be stupid. Why can’t they come up with a trade packaging Marvin Williams and Kirk Hinrich’s expiring contract, maybe for a big man that plays defense, a la Kendrick Perkins.
ROD
June 23rd, 2011
11:28 am
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, Trade him. He doesn’t have a jump shot. He plays hard every now and then. He doesn’t have an inside game. It doesn’t seem he has made his game better. So yes, I would trade him tonight. We’ve seen enough of his antics. It’s time to bring the big fellow in here, Dwight Howard, and build around him. I will take Jameer or Redick. At least they can shoot. Please Rick, make this trade happen. We’ve seen enough of these guys together.
BigTimeTechFan
June 23rd, 2011
11:30 am
I would love to see Josh Smith play for a good coach, wish it was in Atlanta, but that does not look like it’s going to happen unless he can go to collage and play for Coach Gregory.
MJC
June 23rd, 2011
11:36 am
I think it’s funny that people really think either Smoove or Horford are the problem with the team.
Do you really not see Crawford and JJ holding on the ball for so long, dribbling all over the place to no avail, then hoping for a teammate to bail them out with the shot clock waning?
I’m going to be honest here; if the Hawks properly learned to move the ball for the entirety of the game, we would be a contender. However, we insist on slowing the ball up and let one person try to take on five for half the game.
In my opinion, Smith and Horford should be untouchable, with the only exception being a Horford for Howard deal. If the CBA stays relatively the same, I would let Crawford walk, then try to sign another back-up guard like Afflalo, McGrady or Battier to fill up a backcourt rotation of Teague/Hinrich/JJ/4th guard. Try to get rid of Marvin, but if not, put him on the bench and let Smoove play the 3, Horford at the 4, and Collins/Zaza at the 5. (Maybe trade for Dalembert?) Full roster would be something like this:
Teague/Hinrich
JJ/4th guard
Smoove/4th guard if McGrady/Wilkins/Sy
Horford/Smoove
Dalembert?/Collins/Zaza/
AB
June 23rd, 2011
11:37 am
The Josh Smith bashing has got to stop. You can’t name many other power forwards in the league that give you 16 pts, 8 rebs, and 2 blocks a game. I think the biggest issue is that people can see how good he can potentially be and it frustrates them that he is not living up to that potential, but Josh still produces more that 90% of the PF’s in the NBA. Josh is as good or better than (maybe not as smart as) Bosh and Boozer, but both of those players have reached their ceiling. Josh can still get much better.
MistaGamer
June 23rd, 2011
11:44 am
@Holy Cow
You miss the point. If Josh was doing nothing but hoisting up bricks from 3pt land as many have said (although the actual volumn rate at which he shot 3s was 1 in every 25 min of play), then what would you call what Joe did, since Josh shot a better 3pt% than Joe?
The point is people seem to have no sense of relativity when it comes to Josh at all. You say Josh is a huge waste of talent? Well, if he is arguably, consistently the best talent on the floor, then what does that make the rest of our team?
Back to the point, people seem to have no sense of relativity when it comes to Josh. People seem to think that Josh is what is wrong with this team. The real problem with this team is elsewhere, but it’s almost ridiculous to the level at which people either want to look the other way or simply wish it weren’t so.
Josh has become the easiest most convenient target.
example: why wasn’t there any grumblings whatsoever when Horford, who is supposed to be a “true All-Star PF” couldn’t do a damn thing against a gimpy, turf-toe Boozer offensively or defensively? BTW, I am not saying that Horford is what is wrong with this team. I think Horford is a better mismatch and player as C than he is a PF and all his stats prove that (but, thats another discussion for another day).
Dr. Dave
June 23rd, 2011
11:57 am
We should not have any trade discussions with the Lakers or Celtics, as neither one has anything of value that they would give us.
Marvin will become a better player, and the player we thought we’d get when drafted him, now that he has had back surgery. It was not a coincidence that he was walking funny the past couple of years.
How about trading Josh and Teague to get Kyrie Irving? Or am I dreaming.
The fact that the AJC would even print an article about the Hawks 2nd round pick is a joke.
PMC
June 23rd, 2011
11:57 am
Um, JJ Reddick is not a tradeable asset. He’s a spot up jump shooter who only has a career in the NBA because Dwight Howard plays on his team. They basically run the Duke offense.
PMC
June 23rd, 2011
12:02 pm
Josh Smith has been an absolute steal at 17 in the draft compared to the other overpaid bums on this team. Are we kidding our selves here?
Marvin Williams – Terrible Pick
Shelden Williams – Terrible Pick
Josh Childress – left for GREECE!! Terrible Pick due to a terribly flawed Idea of how to build a team.
etc etc etc.
ChicagoBrave
June 23rd, 2011
12:13 pm
MistaGamer- Joe is a shooter, has been since he was at Arkansas. He’s paid to shoot. Josh has NEVER had an outside shot…yet still insisted on taking half of shots from beyond 10 ft. against the Bulls?
There’s certainly no arguing the amount of talent in Josh Smith. But when that talent is displayed inconsistently, what good is it to the team? How much “talent” did he display when he was throwing temper tantrums after no-calls, slumping his shoulders, and jogging up the floor in transition? If the Hawks want to shed their AAU image, then moving Smith is the first step in that process.
He’s really the only tradable asset this team has right now (Marvin isn’t going anywhere until his contract is up) and the returns they get could help transition this team to an organized, potent threat.
ChicagoBrave
June 23rd, 2011
12:15 pm
PMC– Not only did we draft those clown shoes….in the process we passed on CP3, Deron Williams (for Marvin) and Brandon Roy (for Shelden…by the way has anyone else noticed how far apart his eyes are from each other?? it’s crazy)
nobody
June 23rd, 2011
12:16 pm
Id go ask The Twolves if we could have Anthony Randolph and the#2 pick for Smith. Thatd be a steal for the hawks in my opinion.
Jim
June 23rd, 2011
12:16 pm
This is the one year the hawks should do nothing–it looks to me that they finally found a quick point to run the offense for all these “athletes’ that Knight drafted so why change it now? Let Crawford go, let Teague run the show, keep Heinrick, and go find a serviceable center good for 30 minutes a night and see what happens. If this doesn’t work then tear it up next year after the CBA has been settled.
Playmakers!!
June 23rd, 2011
12:20 pm
Can we trade the Coach as well?
nobody
June 23rd, 2011
12:21 pm
Ideally Id like to see Smith go to the 76ers along with Marvin and a future 1st for Igoudala and Speights/Hawes. That way the 76ers get a backup SF for Turner, a potential star, and a 1st and we get a bonafide SF as well as another solid bigman
nobody
June 23rd, 2011
12:23 pm
Or instead of a bigman I would love to see the Hawks bring Lou Williams back home
Mike
June 23rd, 2011
12:27 pm
“Look at these rumors, around me every day, I wish sometimes that I just get away”
First of all, I am so thinking that all of this was done by the media or something like that. Let be honest if they did traded Smith and doesnt get anything back, they will be losing more money than Thrashers was(we all remember what happen to them). ASG should just cost their losses and sell the team quickly.
For Josh Smith, he is like a rare 5-tool player when he is focus in the game. I dont see any trade value that is going to help this team out, only team may have that is Nets and they know that if they get Josh, then they will have Dwight next year. I say, keep Josh and Trade Al, Joe, Marvin and S&T Craw.
59bulldawg
June 23rd, 2011
12:27 pm
OK I still have a bit of feeling for the Hawks because I grew up in Georgia and used to follow them. But not so much any more. I still try to follow the score when I can and maybe even watch a game or two here and there. Or even read a story here on the AJC. But can somebody please tell me how they can look like world beaters one night and then lose by 20 or more the next . . . and it happen not once but numerous times during the season. Is it coaching? Is it Smith? Is it somebody or something else? A few years back when they took the Celtics to 7 games before losing, it looked liked the team’s trajectory was on the rise. Now it seems to have flattened out or gone down after this season. What’s up with that?
dap01
June 23rd, 2011
12:27 pm
David Stern: “The Hawks have made a trade, They have traded Josh Smith to The Timberwolves for a midlevel trade exemption. They have also selected Octner Hibrub fro the Ukraine with the #48 pick.”
Ocner Hibrub was not scouted by anyone and really has been playing basketball since February. He would not have been drafted by any other team but the Hawks are hoping that he is a diamond in the rough.
In other news, the Hawks have fired all of the assistants on the staff and replaced them with a couple of out of work construction guys. The moves were made in an effort to save money.
Yeahsure
June 23rd, 2011
12:32 pm
Why is Horford considered “Untouchable?”. He was basically invisible during the playoffs. Joe and Josh each had a standout game.
BTW, Dwight is not coming here. No star is coming here this year. We have to accept that and move on.
J.J.M.
June 23rd, 2011
12:33 pm
al horford,zaza, and kirk for howard and chris duhon
J.J.M.
June 23rd, 2011
12:35 pm
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=65v5xzx
Farnsworthy
June 23rd, 2011
12:42 pm
I see where North Carolina’s football program has also joined that depressingly long list of cheaters.
James
June 23rd, 2011
12:42 pm
@ All of the Josh Smith haters..None of you can propose any type trade involving Josh that makes an once of sense.None you even have a valid reason for trading him other than the fact that he’s a “loser”. Without him the Hawks dont make it to the second round of the playoffs people! If he’s so bad why does Dwight Howard want him in Orlando? I heard Al Horford say in an interview a couple of weeks ago the the team needs a legitimate”center” which will alow him to play his natual positon.They also need to be rid of Joe Johnson’s contract which nobody wants.Mark I do question Rick Sund’s sanity regarding this contract.You award a player a max contract and a year later there are no takers for him.Insane! If Miami put Lebron James on the trading block tonight there would be teams lined up to take his contract and his “talents” yet he makes less than Joe Johnson.Insane!
Bigdawg
June 23rd, 2011
12:43 pm
I’d trade J-Smoo for a $50 Varsity gift card!
Farnsworthy
June 23rd, 2011
12:49 pm
Love college basketball, but don’t care about the NBA. Sell the Hawks to Winnipeg too.
Runner-
June 23rd, 2011
12:50 pm
Ok, here we go. Only way to make this trade work is if the Hawks give up one of their crappy players with huge salaries to go along with Smith, i.e. Pachulia/ Marvin. So either trade Marvin or Pachulia along with Smith and we can settle for let’s say a decent big man and a decent swingman prospect and maybe some draft picks. Whether the team likes it or not, we are in a rebuilding phase. We can not win with this starting rotation, and since Jamal is not coming back, we need a true swingman to bolster the offense, and we also need more youth on the bench. Hawks will need to offload of Smith and either Marvin or Pachulia and trade for a young swingman/ center and some draft picks if this deal should go through.
Runner-
June 23rd, 2011
12:52 pm
JJM, Magic won’t trade away Howard in order to get Smith… the only reason they want Smith is to keep Howard happy and to keep him in Orlando