Around the NBA draft last year the Atlanta Hawks shopped forward Josh Smith around. The feeling was mutual, Smith felt it was time for a change of scenery. However, the Hawks didn’t get any offers they liked.
Now with the lockout over, Smith is back up on the trading block, reports Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo.Josh Smith hasn’t changed his mind on a future with his hometown Atlanta Hawks: He believes he’s probably run his course with Atlanta. Without an owner committed to making the changes to push this team past its second-round Eastern Conference ceiling, sources said he’d still welcome the team putting him into a trade.
Rival executives say GM Rick Sund has told them everyone is available for deals, although Sund’s most reluctant to move Al Horford. There had been serious discussions between Atlanta and the Minnesota Timberwolves for Smith around the NBA draft, but they never materialized.
The Hawks shouldn’t part with Horford unless the guy coming back is one of 10 NBA cornerstone players. (And I’m not sure Dwight Howard signs an extension in Atlanta, to answer your next question.)
Smith is a good forward who can put up points (16.5 per game last year) and get you rebounds. He’s athletic and if you run the floor he’s a quality big to have.
But with a salary of $12.5 million this year and $13.3 next year he is going to be very tough to move. That’s a lot of money for the production.