Is there anyone in the NBA not requesting a trade or not linked to being trade.
Josh Smith is having a solid year, so if you are going to trade for him this maybe the ideal time. The question begs will the long term investment, be worth the short term reward?
Tons of teams could use a wing scorer who when his mind is into can play defense.
The Hawks if they get a deal they can not refuse should pull the trigger. If not they can always trade him next year since he is signed through 2013.
Even as Josh Smith is having a strong season for the Hawks he has let the team know he wants to be traded as the March 15 deadline approaches, according to people with knowledge of Smith’s thinking.
And the reasons for Smith’s dissatisfaction with the team now have to make the Hawks wonder if they will be able to sign him to a contract extension next season.
By the end of last season Smith wanted out of Atlanta because he believed he was singled out for unfair criticism by coaches and media. Those concerns have died down for the most part this season but now Smith believes he needs a fresh start with a franchise where he can better reach his potential on and off the court, according to one of the people with knowledge of Smith’s thinking.
The person said one of Smith’s complaints is that he believes the Hawks didn’t do enough to promote him for selection to the All-Star team, which he thinks contributed to lesser players being voted to the team by Eastern Conference coaches. Smith, an Atlanta native who has played his entire seven-year career with the Hawks, also would like to play for a franchise he believes is more committed to winning a championship.