Hawks Rumors

Within his power rankings for Yahoo! Sports yesterday, Marc J. Spears included an interesting nugget in reference to the Hawks, noting that "expectations are growing" that the team will trade Josh Smith before the deadline. While Spears didn't specify whether he was alluding to expectations around the league or within the Hawks' organization, it certainly doesn't seem like a sure thing that Smith will be back in Atlanta next season.

Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News follows up on Spears' report with one of his own, tweeting that he's hearing Smith doesn't intend to re-sign with the Hawks, and will be moved "very soon" by the club. The timing of the reports is interesting, as Smith and the Hawks were expected to meet this week to discuss the forward's future in Atlanta. It's not clear whether that discussion has taken place yet, but if Spears' and Goodwill's reports are accurate, it sounds as if perhaps Smith has expressed, or will express, a preference to be moved.

One report earlier this month suggested that the Hawks remain committed to Smith, following an incident that earned him a one-game suspension from the team. On the heels of that suspension, agent Wallace Prather met with GM Danny Ferry to discuss what Prather called "a lot of frustration" on Smith's part. Neither Smith nor his agent requested a trade at the time, but Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote that the Hawks had at least taken calls from teams interested in acquiring the 27-year-old.

When I asked last week whether the Hawks will trade Smith before the February 21st deadline, the votes were split nearly right down the middle. Over at SI.com, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney debated Smith's future today, with both scribes suggesting that a trade probably makes more sense for Atlanta than risking losing the longtime Hawk over the summer, when he'll be seeking a max contract.

There has been no shortage of updates on the Josh Smith situation of late, as just yesterday we learned that Smith expects a max deal.  Earlier this week, Hoops Rumors' Luke Adams asked readers whether the Hawks will trade Smith and in more than 800 votes, it is almost exactly split down the middle. 

Fortunately, as Chris Broussard tweets, it looks like we may be able to find out more at some point this week.  Broussard says that, according to sources, Smith's representatives will speak with Hawks GM Danny Ferry this week about Smith's future in Atlanta.  This situation promises to be a hot topic leading up to the trade deadline, as Smith will surely be one of the more high profile players to be dealt in season in recent memory if it happens.

Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he has made it clear that he wants to be paid like a superstar. Smith tells Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he believes himself worthy of a five-year, $94MM max contract:

“I feel like I’m a max player,” Smith said Friday. “I feel I bring a lot to the table. I have a lot of versatility. For what I do and what I give this ball club, I feel like I’m worth it.”

Smith adds that he does not believe the Hawks should be dissuaded from giving him a max contract by the fate of the last player they maxed out, Joe Johnson, whose contract became such an albatross that they dealt him to the Brooklyn Nets this past summer.

“There shouldn’t be any hesitation. I’m Josh Smith, I’m not anybody else. I ‘m not Michael Jordan, I’m not LeBron James, I’m not Brook Lopez. I’m Josh Smith. You can’t look at what might’ve happened with another person. Let’s say Joe. You can’t say, ‘I’m skeptical of giving another person that’ because of whatever they feel like happened."

In a recent article examining Smith's value, Zach Lowe of Grantland pointed out that, as a nine-year veteran, it may be smarter for Smith to sign a one-year deal with the Hawks and qualify for the higher maximum amount that 10-year veterans may receive. Lowe writes that as a 10-year veteran, Smith's next contract could pay him as much as $105MM over five seasons.