A Hawks all-star has made his departure from Atlanta a little more likely.
“Josh Smith has told the Hawks that he isn’t going to sign an extension during the season. He’d rather wait to become a free agent, when he can get a five-year deal. An extension would limit him to a three-year deal, according to the new CBA rules.”
–Via NY Daily News.
Though Smith’s state of mind has been made clear, GM Danny Ferry hasn’t revealed anything in the way of the situation. Smith’s decision not to sign an extension doesn’t necessarily mean he’s looking to leave the peach state. But, it does constrict options for the Hawks.
After managing to relieve the Hawks of an acidic Joe Johnson contract, Ferry was seen as something of a hero in Atlanta. All of a sudden, the Hawks could afford to loosen their financial belts a little.
Ferry also managed to get some value back, taking on sharp-shooter Anthony Morrow. The Hawks also picked up Devin Harris in a trade sending Marvin Williams to the Utah Jazz.
Atlanta stands with new-found cap space. But, outside of their draft pick (Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins) and a healthy Al Horford, that’s just about all they have.
Perhaps Ferry planned on ridding the Hawks’ ledger of those contracts ($90 mil owed to Johnson, $15 mil to Williams) to put the organization in a position to offer Smith a serious deal. Just as likely is the option that Ferry opts to continue his stripping down of the current Hawks squad.
Mohamed Abdihakim is a journalism student at Florida Atlantic University. He is a Phoenix Suns fan, who is not prepared for the possibility of Nash winning a title in a Lakers jersey. Mohamed is also a contributor at “Les Snobs”. Interests include International basketball, Mad Men, and blues music. Nearly all stats are credited to Hoopdata or Basketball-Reference.
Twitter handle: @Abdi_hakim
