Will tonight’s NBA draft be a snooze-fest or a Smoove-fest?
Game 6 against the Bulls: Was it his last night as a Hawk? (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
And here we thought tonight’s NBA draft would be a snooze-fest for Hawks fans. Turns out it could become … pardon the expression … a Smoove-fest.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Hawks, who currently hold only the 18th pick of the second round, are trying to trade Josh Smith to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second pick in the draft. With this pick, Wojnarowski writes, the Hawks would take Enes Kanter, the center from Turkey who was ruled ineligible to play for Kentucky this season by the NCAA.
Smith rumors have been running rampant the past 36 hours, and it’s not clear of any of them will come to fruition ever, let alone before the draft is done. (Me, I’m skeptical. But that’s just me.) But all among us who figured we’d skip the draft because the Hawks didn’t have a Round 1 pick might want to rethink.
The Kanter deal makes some sense, at least from the Hawks’ perspective. He’d be the center, Al Horford would be the power forward and Josh Smith and his $12.5 million salary would be gone.
Again, there’s no guarantee this will happen. (Even Wojnarowski notes that the T-Wolves “haven’t been forthcoming.”) If something does happen, it’ll happen quick. The draft commences at 7 p.m. We will, as ever, watch and report.
By Mark Bradley
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196 comments Add your comment
Paul in RDU
June 23rd, 2011
10:54 pm
There were no GT players drafted in 2008 or 2009. Anthony Morrow was not drafted.
superiorblogman
June 23rd, 2011
10:55 pm
Here we go.
Hawks draft board should look like this
1 Keith Benson
2 Jeremy Tyler Gone
3 Tyler Honeycutt Gone
4 Jimmy Butler Gone
5 Gary Flowers
6 Justin Holiday
7 Travis Leslie
8 Iman Shumpert Gone
9 Malcolm Lee
10 Shelvin Mack Gone
Bonus: If Jordan Williams is available take him Gone
Extra Bonus: If Darius Morris is available take him
So, there are currently 8 players that we should be looking at.
Update, there are currently 6 players that we should be looking at.
Bill Goldberg
June 23rd, 2011
10:58 pm
Maybe the Hawks will try and draft Leslie if available to fill some seats…
hawks fan
June 23rd, 2011
10:58 pm
hawks need to take scotty hopkins with this second round pic
Dawgs
June 23rd, 2011
11:04 pm
screw the ASG – whatever Levison says believe the opposite. The guy is a complete fraud.
UGAJD
June 23rd, 2011
11:14 pm
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
UGAJD
June 23rd, 2011
11:16 pm
Snoooooooozzzzzzzzzzzeeeeee
kevin
June 23rd, 2011
11:17 pm
better get travis to light up the hightlight factory
Mark Bradley
June 23rd, 2011
11:17 pm
We’re one pick from the Hawks’ turn, and Travis Leslie is available
HawkinOrlando
June 23rd, 2011
11:18 pm
SELBY please
J.J.M.
June 23rd, 2011
11:18 pm
only draft leslie if you sure Josh will be traded
J.J.M.
June 23rd, 2011
11:19 pm
lmao clippers did that on purpose
superiorblogman
June 23rd, 2011
11:19 pm
Here we go.
Hawks draft board should look like this
1 Keith Benson
2 Jeremy Tyler Gone
3 Tyler Honeycutt Gone
4 Jimmy Butler Gone
5 Gary Flowers
6 Justin Holiday
7 Travis Leslie
8 Iman Shumpert Gone
9 Malcolm Lee Gone
10 Shelvin Mack Gone
Bonus: If Jordan Williams is available take him Gone
Extra Bonus: If Darius Morris is available take him Gone
So, there are currently 8 players that we should be looking at.
Update, there are currently 6 players that we should be looking at.
Update, there are 4 players that we should be looking at. There will be a pick that can help us there but will Sund and crew be smart enough to take him I say no
Mark Bradley
June 23rd, 2011
11:20 pm
Leslie just went to the Clippers.
chuck
June 23rd, 2011
11:20 pm
I winder if these idiots will draft another PF?
Bill Goldberg
June 23rd, 2011
11:20 pm
Darn, clippers!
Mark Bradley
June 23rd, 2011
11:21 pm
Hawks take Keith Benson from Oakland. He’s a skinny center.
Mark Bradley
June 23rd, 2011
11:21 pm
This isn’t a terrible pick.
superiorblogman
June 23rd, 2011
11:22 pm
Great pick Sund, it will work out. Great pick man he was #1 on our draft board. Great pick I hated when you gave away 2 1st round picks for Hinrich but I think this will work out in the future. Great pick for the future Sund
HawkinOrlando
June 23rd, 2011
11:22 pm
if Jamal isnt going to be resigned they should have picked Selby
UGAJD
June 23rd, 2011
11:22 pm
Who?
kevin
June 23rd, 2011
11:23 pm
garbage pick
Well I'm convinced
June 23rd, 2011
11:25 pm
kevin from the internet just said it was a garbage pick. that’s all the analysis I need.
superiorblogman
June 23rd, 2011
11:25 pm
Here we go.
Hawks draft board should look like this
1 Keith Benson Hawks
2 Jeremy Tyler Gone
3 Tyler Honeycutt Gone
4 Jimmy Butler Gone
5 Gary Flowers
6 Justin Holiday
7 Travis Leslie
8 Iman Shumpert Gone
9 Malcolm Lee Gone
10 Shelvin Mack Gone
Bonus: If Jordan Williams is available take him Gone
Extra Bonus: If Darius Morris is available take him Gone
So, there are currently 8 players that we should be looking at.
Update, there are currently 6 players that we should be looking at.
Update, there are 4 players that we should be looking at. There will be a pick that can help us there but will Sund and crew be smart enough to take him I say no
We got the #1 guy on our draft
ToccoaBird
June 23rd, 2011
11:28 pm
They better sell soon.
Barry
June 23rd, 2011
11:33 pm
first player ever taken in the draft from that college. ouch
TampaDAWG
June 23rd, 2011
11:38 pm
I love the pick by the Hawks, everybody knows they needed a Center and to actually draft a true one that has the potential to play the actual position is a great move. We know he needs to add weight but with Horford and Smith as the current low post scorers he just needs to play defense which he can do. Couldn’t do any better with the 48th pick!
gcs
June 23rd, 2011
11:58 pm
As much as I HATE the Atlanta Spirit right now, I have to give them credit: This is an AWFUL year to trade up and what they got at the spot they were picking was pretty darn good.
If this guy pans out at center, Horford can move to his natural forward spot and turn into an All-World player.
.
Mr. Riley
June 24th, 2011
12:05 am
Man, I swear this ownership..lol…Benson??…not baggin on this guy, but 1) i’ve never heard of him 2) never seen oakland play…did they even make it to the tourney?? Yeah, I understand there need for a center but man this screams will bynum all day to me…
Pessimist
June 24th, 2011
12:07 am
Remember when we drafted a center that can’t play defense? I prefer Jason Collins.
Harry Hawk
June 24th, 2011
12:13 am
Is Keith Benson the next Solomon Jones?
Dare we hope? Dare we dream?
James
June 24th, 2011
12:15 am
Kris Benson is gonna be nothing but another Soloman Jones for the Hawks.
James
June 24th, 2011
12:17 am
The Hawks are doomed they aren’t ever gonna succeed with such a mediocre team with a sorry ownership.
Mr. Riley
June 24th, 2011
12:26 am
who the hell is keith benson???….this screams will bynum all over again..
Noneya
June 24th, 2011
1:01 am
Boring draft but 4 former Dekalb County High School basketball players drafted this year. Impressive.
JASon
June 24th, 2011
1:13 am
“Will tonight’s NBA draft be a snooze-fest or a Smoove-fest?”
Did you really just write that? Where did you take the turn, man?
Smith stays with Hawks as NBA draft drama fizzles – Atlanta Journal Constitution | The Basketball Site
June 24th, 2011
3:22 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
ASG = JERKS
June 24th, 2011
6:28 am
I can’t believe ASG hasn’t made a splash. Maybe they can give Joe Slow Johnson some more money. Bruce Levinson says: DEAL WITH IT SUCKERS.
KevinM
June 24th, 2011
9:54 am
My first choice from stagnant Sund would have been DeAndre Liggins, being compared to Bruce Bowen. Not up front comparison, but down the road. After all, Josh Harrellson was taken at 45.
Benson is as good a pick as you are going to get at that stage. But do you really want to be labeled as the anti-Faried? But this is probably what sold Sund:
“Appears to be highly coachable”
No issues on the bench when he is sitting game after game.
Final word: NBA comparison: Steven Hunter.
KevinM
June 24th, 2011
9:57 am
I like what the Wizards did with their draft picks….
And Chris Singleton as a Hawk? Would have been added pressure on Marvin for sure.
KevinM
June 24th, 2011
10:22 am
On a side note, was that Jimmer-love from Westphal just predictable? The guy was a gunner as a pro in his day……is he trying to solidify the one dimensional player?
Jack
June 24th, 2011
10:32 am
How in the world do you call yourselves sports reporters and you don’t know anything about Marshon Brooks? He won the AAAA State Championship for Tucker High and was the #2 scorer in the country and #1 for the Big East and just went #25 in the draft and you have no mention of him? You all don’t cover local talent well at all.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2011
10:38 am
About Marshon Brooks … here you go.
superiorblogman
June 24th, 2011
8:20 pm
We should try to get the following rookie free agents
Gary Flowers
Justin Holiday
Demetri McCamey
Scotty Hopson
Malcolm Delaney
Matt Howard
Rick Jackson
Scotty Hopson
David Lighty
Greg Smith
Michael Dunigan
Jereme Richmond
superiorblogman
June 25th, 2011
2:50 am
Who wants to trade Kirk Hinrich for Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, and Chris Singleton?
King Tramarci
June 28th, 2011
1:21 pm
@ Spanish Speaking Sicilian The Hawks are under bond with the City Of Atlanta for the next 26 years. So keep dreaming. The Hawks are in Atlanta until Phillips Arena is paid off. Secondly, Bradley stop it.