Hawks Want To Re-Sign Josh Smith, Kyle Korver
Among the items in Sam Amico's leaguewide roundup for Fox Sports Ohio today, he passes along that "word is" the Hawks will make re-signing Josh Smith and Kyle Korver their top priorities in the summer. If they prove to be out of Atlanta's price range, the team is likely to try to sign-and-trade one or both of those players.
Smith made headlines earlier this season when he said he felt he was deserving of a maximum-salary contract, but more recently clarified that his statements were in response to a question and not meant as a pronouncement ahead of this summer's negotiations. Nonetheless, it seems likely he'll go after a max deal, which would be worth nearly $100MM from the Hawks and a little more than $74MM if he signed with another team. Since Amico's report indicates there's a limit on how much they'll spend to retain Smith, it doesn't look like they're willing to give him the full max. They might be open to structing the deal so that Smith gets more than the $74MM he could get from another club, however, retaining their financial advantage over the rest of the league, but that's just my speculation.
Korver isn't nearly the player Smith is, but he leads the league with a 45.9% three-point percentage, and figures to have no shortage of suitors this summer. The Nuggets are already reportedly targeting Korver, who's expressed a willingness to consider a return to the Jazz and Bulls, two of his former teams. When Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors examined Korver's free agent stock earlier this month, he wrote that an offer somewhere in the neighborhood of the full mid-level exception, which includes a first-year salary of $5.15MM, might get a deal done.
The Hawks will have plenty of room under the cap to sign Smith, Korver and others this summer, when they'll have little more than $18.5MM in commitments. It appears GM Danny Ferry and company plan to be judicious with that room and aren't dead-set on re-signing any of their players if they're putting a limit on how high they'll go for the two men they count as their top priorities. That they would consider a sign-and-trade for both Smith and Korver could suggest that they don't want to rely completely on building next season's roster with free agents from other teams.
Hawks Re-Sign Shelvin Mack
The Hawks announced via press release that they have re-signed Shelvin Mack to a second ten-day contract. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound point guard has appeared in five games for the Hawks, totaling eight points, four rebounds and three assists in 30 total minutes.
The Hawks are the 23-year-old's third NBA team this season. He was with the Sixers on a pair of 10-day contracts, but Philadelphia opted not to keep him for the rest of the year after he totaled just seven minutes during stay there. The Wizards, who drafted him 34th overall in 2011, waived him at the end of training camp and brought him back on Christmas.
The Butler product averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 assists in 20.1 minutes per game in seven contests this year for Washington but they dropped him in January, just before his contract would have become guaranteed for the rest of the season.
Hawks Likely To Re-Sign Shelvin Mack
There's a "good chance" the Hawks will re-sign point guard Shelvin Mack to a second 10-day contract after his first deal expires this weekend, a source tells Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Vivlamore says Mack's contract is up Sunday, but the Hawks announced his signing on March 6th, meaning the 10-day deal would expire after tonight. Either way, it appears the point guard will be with Atlanta for at least a little while longer.
Mack has appeared in four games for a total of 28 minutes so far with the Hawks, his third NBA team this season. He was with the Sixers on a pair of 10-day contracts, but Philadelphia opted not to keep him for the rest of the year after he totaled just seven minutes during stay there. The Wizards, who drafted him 34th overall in 2011, waived him at the end of training camp and brought him back on Christmas. The 23-year-old Butler product averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 assists in 20.1 minutes per game in seven contests this year for Washington, which dropped him in January, just before his contract would have become guaranteed for the rest of the season.
Mack is occupying the 15th and final roster spot for Atlanta, so if the Hawks do what the Sixers and Wizards have resisted doing and keep him for the rest of the season, they couldn't pick up anyone else this year without waiving someone on a guaranteed contract.
Odds & Ends: Korver, Magic, Stoudemire, Balkman
A few Tuesday evening odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Kyle Korver will hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and he's looking forward to going through the process, as he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. "It’s nothing to dread about it," Korver said. "Your wife wants to know where she’s going to live next year and I do too, obviously…. It’s an exciting time but right now you have to take care of the games you have in front of you and let July take care of July." I examined Korver's free agent stock last week.
- With Dwight Howard returning to Orlando for the first time since being traded last August, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com notes that the package acquired by GM Rob Hennigan and the Magic in that deal is no longer being questioned.
- As David Lee and the Warriors faced the Amare Stoudemire-less Knicks last night, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweeted that ex-Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni wanted the team to re-sign Lee in the summer of 2010 rather than pursuing Stoudemire.
- Pointing out that Robert Sarver and the Suns were also willing to offer Stoudemire a max contract in 2010, but only if he met certain minutes-played thresholds, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic says the Suns made the right call.
- Renaldo Balkman's lifetime ban from the Philippines' professional basketball league has been reduced to one year, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes.
Poll: Will Josh Smith Land A Max Deal?
Hawks forward Josh Smith surprised many around basketball earlier this year when he said that he believes he should be in line for a max contract this summer. While the 27-year-old is undoubtedly in line for a lucrative deal, hoping for that amount of money seems overly optimistic. Our own Luke Adams recently crunched the numbers on max contract scenarios for this summer's top free agents and showed that a max deal from the Hawks could pay him $99.7MM over five years and a topped-out deal from another club could be worth $74MM over four years, depending on how much max salaries increase this summer. Smith is a welcome addition to any club, but will he get an annual average of about $20MM from the Hawks or $18.5MM from another team?
So far, the Hawks have maintained that they will not be giving the forward a max contract. Then again, the fact that they held on to Smith at the trade deadline means that there is at least a little room for a change of heart. The high-flying veteran has a better chance of getting a max deal elsewhere and while the chances of that may seem remote as well, there will be a number of teams with cap space to burn this summer. And with all due respect, more than a few of these clubs might be desperate to make waves. The Bucks, Pistons, Cavs, Bobcats, and Jazz are just some of the clubs that will have the breathing room necessary to make a major pickup. Will an advantageous market be enough to net Smith the max deal that he seeks?
Will Josh Smith Land A Max Deal?
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No 63% (557)
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Yes 37% (333)
Total votes: 890
Josh Smith On Trade Rumors, Max Deal, Atlanta
Josh Smith was perhaps the most talked-about target prior to the trade deadline, and though he remained with the Hawks, speculation about his future won't end anytime soon, since he'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. If Dwight Howard and Chris Paul remain in Los Angeles, there could be no more sough-after commodity on the market than Atlanta's athletic power forward. He recently opened up about where he stands with his career seemingly in transition, and Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News shared some of his comments. We'll pass along the highlights here:
On his inclusion in trade rumors at the deadline:
"It was total chaos, for two or three weeks. It’s good just to concentrate, knowing where I’m at, at least until the end of the season, and now we can focus on what we can do to make a playoff push and jockeying for position, knowing that it’s a real tight race. It’s good to be able to focus on basketball."
On his worth as a player:
"I’m respected in the NBA as far as the players are concerned. I know I’m a highly attractive player and all I can do is keep playing confident, hold my head high, and not really worry about what the naysayers and haters say."
On his assertion that he deserves a max contract:
"I didn’t just come up and make the statement that I was (a maximum player) — it was a question that I was asked. I gave an honest answer. It’s not added pressure. I’m not going around just stating that. It was definitely a question."
On his impending free agency:
"I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to look ahead. I focus on the present. As long as we do special things during the season or during the postseason, I don’t look into the future. I’ll think about (free agency) when it gets here."
On playing in Atlanta, a city with laid-back fans:
"It is a little difficult. Last year like I was telling everybody, we were ranked No. 1 worst sports town in the United States. It was just the whole city, baseball, football – but football always has a crazy fanbase – it is a little bit difficult. But hopefully we can turn it around sooner than later."
Free Agency Links: Millsap, Smith, Bynum, West, Oden
With the trade deadline behind us, some teams are already looking toward this summer's free agent class. Here is a roundup of the latest buzz on that front:
- Acknowledging that Chris Paul and Dwight Howard aren't likely to leave their respective Los Angeles teams, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld looks at a list of free agents who are more obtainable by other teams, including Atlanta's Josh Smith and Utah's Paul Millsap.
- Ben Golliver of SI.com runs down a list of free agents whose stock has risen or fallen this season. He points to Andrew Bynum as someone who has hurt his chances at a big payday, and Smith and David West as likely candidates for a big payday.
- Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer reports that Greg Oden, who is gearing up for a second attempt at an NBA career, recently attended a Cavaliers game and had positive impressions of the organization.
- Valade also profiles Rich Paul, a former member of LeBron James' marketing team who is finding success running his own sports agency.
Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Bucks, Mavs, Rockets
As rumors fly long past the NBA's trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com checks in with a Weekend Dime that's heavy on items about Josh Smith, as well as plenty of news about the Rockets. There's even a link between Smith and Houston, so let's dig in.
- The Bucks came closest to acquiring Smith at the deadline, as a source tells Stein that Atlanta's talks with the Sixers were never as serious as they were with Milwaukee.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that the Hawks nearly sent Smith to the Celtics, but Stein hears Atlanta's brass shared the concerns of many NBA teams that C's basketball president Danny Ainge would get cold feet about dealing one of his stars. Paul Pierce would have been sent to the Mavs in the rumored Smith-to-Boston trade.
- The Hawks preferred to send Smith to the Western Conference, but were rebuffed by the Mavs, who refused to add a draft pick to a package that already included Vince Carter, Chris Kaman, Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright and Dahntay Jones. Many of those Mavericks were also part of the proposed three-way trade with the Celtics.
- If the Rockets don't land top target Dwight Howard this summer, they'll turn their attention to Smith and Andrew Bynum next, sources tell Stein.
- Aaron Brooks forfeited just under $3.4MM in his buyout from the Kings, Stein hears. Brooks was set to make $3.396MM next season on a player option, so presumably the buyout simply entailed him declining that option.
- I took a look in January at all the former Rockets the team still has on the payroll, a list that's since grown even longer, as Stein notes. Houston has waived or bought out 10 players this season, all of whom are still on the team's cap.
- Stein catches up with Thomas Robinson, who was surprised when the Kings drafted him last year and "shocked" when they traded him to the Rockets at the deadline.
- There's a schism in thought around the league about whether Monta Ellis is leaning toward staying with the Bucks next season or exercising his early-termination option to hit free agency this summer.
- Samuel Dalembert is hitting free agency no matter what, but echoing his report before the trade deadline that Milwaukee was no longer trying to move Dalembert, Stein says the Bucks have some interest in re-signing the Haitian center.
Eastern Teams Expected To Have Max Cap Room
Earlier this week, I looked at Western Conference teams expected to have room to make a maximum-salary offer to a free agent this summer. The Jazz, who could have about $30MM in cap space, led the way, followed by the Mavericks, Hornets, Rockets, and others. Before we switch our focus to the Eastern Conference, a reminder of a few factors we had to consider when looking at those Western teams:
- A team's projected 2013/14 salary can change significantly between now and the free agent period in July. There likely won't be any major shake-ups before season's end, but trades made before or during the draft could affect a team's '13/14 outlook, so the clubs expected to have max cap room now may not be the same ones that actually have it when July arrives.
- As was the case earlier this week when I estimated maximum salaries for Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith yesterday, some guesswork is required here. The salary cap will almost certainly increase for next season, but we won't know by how much until July. For argument's sake, I'm going to predict that the cap will increase from about $58.04MM this year to an even $60MM for next year.
- If a team has less than 12 players under contract for next season, cap holds worth the rookie minimum for empty roster spots must be taken into account. For instance, if a club has five players on their books for $30MM, we'd have to add seven cap holds worth $490,180 (next year's rookie minimum) before considering how much room the club truly has. Cap holds for 2013 first-round picks must also be considered.
- As I outlined on Monday, not all maximum contracts are created equal. A max deal for Jennings will likely start with a first-year salary between $14MM and 15MM, while Dwight Howard's first-year salary in a max deal will be over $20.5MM. So a team may have room to offer Jennings the max, but not Howard.
Listed below are the Eastern teams expected to have room for a max-salary free agent this summer. Their current guaranteed commitments for 2013/14 are noted in parentheses.
Atlanta Hawks ($18,583,800 for three players)
With Al Horford on the books for $12MM, Louis Williams for $5.23MM, and John Jenkins for a modest $1.26MM, the Hawks have the fewest guaranteed commitments for 2013/14 in the NBA. That flexibility can be attributed to Danny Ferry's ability to clear Joe Johnson's massive contract from the team's books in exchange for a number of contracts that will expire this season. After taking into account cap holds for empty roster spots, the Hawks may not have quite enough room to make max offers to both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, but it's awfully close, and no other team can make that claim. Howard and Paul are long-shots, of course, but all that potential cap space will give Atlanta plenty of options this summer, whether that means exploring the market, or focusing on their own free agents, like Josh Smith and Jeff Teague.
Milwaukee Bucks ($29,555,523 for seven players)
Assuming Monta Ellis opts out of the final year of his deal, as we've predicted he will, the Bucks will have three starting-caliber guards hitting free agency, in Ellis, Brandon Jennings, and J.J. Redick. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier this week that Milwaukee intends to bring back two of those three guys, and I think the smart money is probably on Jennings and Redick. If we assume those two players will earn a combined $20MM+ annually, suddenly the Bucks don't have nearly as much cap space left over.
Detroit Pistons ($29,756,686 for eight players)
Our estimate here for the Pistons assumes the team will buy out Rodney Stuckey, saving $4.5MM on his 2013/14 salary. Even if they don't do that, the Pistons could still pick up even more cap space if they decide to amnesty Charlie Villanueva and clear his remaining $8.58MM from their team salary, which seems like a good bet. Either way, the Pistons will not only have a ton of room under the cap, but they also won't have to add many players to fill out the roster. That bodes well for the pursuit of a max free agent, though it's hard to see an ideal, realistic fit.
Smith and Andrew Bynum may be open to signing with the Pistons if Detroit makes the highest offer, but the team already has a solid young front line pairing in Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. Maybe the Pistons enter the mix for Jennings, though it seems as if the club would prefer to bring back a less expensive veteran point guard in Jose Calderon.
Cleveland Cavaliers ($31,998,284 for seven players)
The Cavaliers will have the opportunity to clear even more space should Marreese Speights decide not to pick his player option. Given his increased role and improved play since he was traded by the Grizzlies, that's a real possibility. In any case, the Cavs will have more than enough room to make a run at a max free agent, should they so choose. As long as rumors linking LeBron James to the Cavs for the summer of 2014 persist though, it's extremely unlikely that the Cavs compromise their future flexibility by completing a major signing this summer. Even if the team wanted to make a splash, I don't think Cleveland will be on Howard's or Paul's lists of desired destinations.
Charlotte Bobcats ($40,011,207 for eight players)
The amount of Howard's max salary for 2013/14 in millions ($20.51MM) exceeds the Bobcats' win total over the last two years (20), which in itself speaks to Charlotte's chances of landing a marquee free agent this summer. Even a potentially massive overpay, like a four-year max to Bynum or Smith, may not be enough to bring those one of those guys to Charlotte — not only that, but it wouldn't be the best use of the Bobcats' resources, as the team continues a lengthy rebuilding process. It's probably safe to rule out Charlotte as a suitor for any potential max free agents.
Orlando Magic ($42,552,972 for eight players)
The $42.55MM figure for the Magic here includes a lot of dead money — it assumes the team will buy out Hedo Turkoglu and Al Harrington, and includes Quentin Richardson's $2.81MM cap hit, despite Richardson no longer being on the team. I think it's more likely that the Magic try to trade Turkoglu and/or Harrington and get anything they can for them, so Orlando's eventual 2013/14 team salary could look much different than this. Regardless, the Magic will be entering the second year of a total rebuild, so the club is very unlikely to be in the mix for top free agents anyway.
Honorable mention:
- The Sixers are expected to have $44,482,742 committed to eight players, which would put them right on the cusp of being able to make a max offer to a free agent with less than seven years of experience.
- If Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza were to turn down their pricey player options for next season, the Wizards would have max room, but that's extremely unlikely to happen.
Celtics Nearly Traded Pierce In Deal For Josh Smith
Although the Celtics stood relatively pat at last month's trade deadline, the team very nearly agreed to a blockbuster deal that would have sent Paul Pierce to Dallas, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski reports that the Celtics, Mavericks, and Hawks discussed a three-way trade that would have seen Boston acquire Josh Smith. However, the Hawks wanted a first-round pick in the deal, which the C's were unwilling to include.
According to Wojnarowski, the package that would have gone to the Hawks from the Mavericks featured Dahntay Jones, Jae Crowder, and Brandan Wright, along with the ability to swap picks in the 2013 draft. Based on Wojnarowski's report, it appears Atlanta was on board with the pieces coming from Dallas, but required one more sweetener from Boston, and the C's didn't relent.
The failed deal makes sense from Atlanta's perspective, since the club was looking to acquire some combination of young talent, expiring contracts, and draft picks in exchange for Smith. From the Celtics' perspective, Danny Ainge presumably felt that Smith was a player in his prime that the team could attempt to re-sign and keep for the long-term, though the GM wasn't willing to pay an exorbitant price to land him.
As for the Mavericks, they would have received another All-Star caliber veteran to pair with Dirk Nowitzki, but both players are in their mid-30s, and keeping Pierce next season would have eaten up the majority of the club's 2013/14 cap space. I feel like there must be a detail missing from the package that would have gone to Atlanta, since the Jones/Crowder/Wright trio earns significantly less than Pierce this season, meaning more salary would have to be included to make the deal work under CBA rules. Perhaps Shawn Marion, who has a $9.07MM player option for '13/14, was also in the proposal, which would have allowed Dallas to retain some financial flexibility in the summer. That's just my speculation though. Including Chris Kaman's expiring contract would also have worked for salary-matching purposes.
After being unable to finalize this deal, all three involved teams made smaller moves. The Celtics acquired Jordan Crawford from the Wizards, the Hawks acquired Jeremy Tyler from the Warriors, and the Mavericks and Hawks swapped Jones and Anthony Morrow.