NBA Rumors: Extending Josh Smith Should Not Be Atlanta Hawks’ Top Priority

May 26th, 2012 by Brian Mazique Leave a reply »
Josh Smith is a very good player, but the Atlanta Hawks need to blow this entire core up. Michael Cunningham of AJC.com notes that the Hawks could re-sign Smith now:

I looked at Larry Coon’s CBA FAQ and could see no reason why Smith is not eligible for an extension. It’s been at least three years since he signed the deal, it’s never been renegotiated and it doesn’t include an opt-in. I checked with Coon and he confirmed the Hawks can extend Smith’s deal (they actually have been able to do so since August).

Extending Smith further handicaps them with solid players that aren't good enough to seriously contend. Smith is the best of the almost-greats on the roster, but the commitment won't allow them to move on to a new era.

The Hawks need to be exploring a way to part ways with Marvin Williams and Joe Johnson first.

Yes, both of them, and possibly even Smith since he has an expiring deal and value.

Williams will almost certainly have to be amnestied as his trade value isn't exactly high right now, but Johnson's situation offers more options. 

One of the Hawks bigges ...

Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by

Advertisement

Comments are closed.