Trade Watch: Josh Smith and the Atlanta Hawks

If any one big name player is going to be dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline, it has to be Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks. Smith is a a highly talented power forward, but I’m not sure he’s worth the max deal he’s seeking in the offseason. He’s the type of player a professor of mine would politely refer to as a “knucklehead". Smith’s been involved in several altercations with other players and makes really bad decisions in times. He’s an awful jump shooter but continues to take ill-advised deep two’s and threes when he has no business doing so (link thoroughly proves this assertion). He’s similar to Rajon Rondo in that he has a ton of talent (superior athleticism, good defender, great at getting to the basket), but his troubling personality issues and stubbornness detract from his potential. It seems the Hawks think the same, leaving them in a tough spot. If they don’t want to pay him, they can’t let him leave in the summer for nothing in return. This means there is high degree of likelihood that Smith will be traded in the next day or two.

Season	G	FG%	3P%	FT%	ORB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
2004-05	74	.455	.174	.688	2.0	6.2	1.7	0.8	1.9	1.8	2.1	9.7
2005-06	80	.425	.309	.719	2.2	6.6	2.4	0.8	2.6	2.0	3.3	11.3
2006-07	72	.439	.250	.693	2.3	8.6	3.3	1.4	2.9	3.2	3.3	16.4
2007-08	81	.457	.253	.710	2.0	8.2	3.4	1.5	2.8	3.0	3.3	17.2
2008-09	69	.492	.299	.588	1.9	7.2	2.4	1.4	1.6	2.3	2.7	15.6
2009-10	81	.505	.000	.618	2.8	8.7	4.2	1.6	2.1	2.4	3.0	15.7
2010-11	77	.477	.331	.725	1.7	8.5	3.3	1.3	1.6	2.6	2.8	16.5
2011-12	66	.458	.257	.630	2.1	9.6	3.9	1.4	1.7	2.5	2.6	18.8
2012-13	48	.460	.354	.500	1.9	8.6	4.1	1.2	2.1	3.0	2.4	17.4
Career	648	.464	.288	.659	2.1	8.0	3.2	1.3	2.2	2.5	2.9	15.2

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/19/2013.

Who are some teams that may look to acquire Smith? There’s been a lot of interest in him in recent weeks, and it’s clear that a team will try to get him in the right deal. The Spurs and Nets were early candidates, but it appears San Antonio has changed course and Brooklyn may not have the assets that the Hawks want in return. The Nets would likely need a third team to facilitate a deal, which remains unlikely. That appears to leave the Bucks, Suns, and Wizards as the frontrunners to land Smith.

In my opinion the Bucks and Suns would make the most sense in terms of a trading partner (although the Wizards are intriguing). If the Hawks are truly interested, the Bucks could send Monta Ellis and a few talented young players and/or picks for Smith. However, the Bucks could be hesitant to part with assets because they are in a similar situation with Brandon Jennings, who will become a restricted free agent this year.

The Suns also make a lot of sense considering they’ve reportedly been highly active in talks trying to improve in any way they can. However, they may also be reluctant to meet Atlanta’s asking price for someone who may leave or simply not be the caliber of player worth giving up so many assets for. It appears as though the Suns are highly motivated, meaning they may make the deal eventually if it’s what they need to change things up for the better in Phoenix.

Apparently, the Wizards are open to moving almost anyone on their roster for him, which is pretty interesting. Wall and Beal could be the future of their franchise, so it’s pretty telling that they’d be willing to give up on them in order to get Smith. The recent chatter doesn’t speculate about that Washington is at all in contention, but that could change between now and Thursday.

Because Smith is so likely to get traded, other teams around the league may be waiting to see what happens before they makes moves themselves. If that's the case, Smith may be the first shoe to drop.

Final Prediction: Smith is traded to the Bucks or Suns

Other Likely Suitors: Boston, San Antonio, Washington, Brooklyn, Philadelphia