John Hollinger Insider Article about us - "the pinnacle of human achievement"

[GameTime]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story?page=hawksmoves_120702&_slug_=nba-atlanta-hawks-remake-future-one-momentous-day&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2fstory%3fpage%3dhawksmoves_120702%26_slug_%3dnba-atlanta-hawks-remake-future-one-momentous-dayCan someone up this whole article? Hollinger seems stoked.

[vext]

We knew when the Atlanta Hawks hired Danny Ferry as their general manager that it would mark a wholesale change in the way this franchise did business, but nobody expected the change to be this drastic, this fast.

With two landmark moves in a period of hours today that wiped nearly $90 million off the payroll, the Hawks went from a franchise that considered losing in the second round of the playoffs to be the pinnacle of human achievement to being one that could matter -- I mean really, truly matter -- for the first time since Dominique Wilkins was making nightly highlight films.

For those who just crawled out from under a rock, the Hawks first sent Joe Johnson to New Jersey for the expiring contracts of Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Jordan Williams Anthony Morrow and DeShawn Stevenson (who will have a non-guaranteed multi-year deal, per sign-and-trade rule requirements, but is effectively an expiring contract). The Hawks then traded Marvin Williams to Utah for the expiring contract of Devin Harris. Farmar will be bought out for $1.5 million, Harris may be re-routed someplace else, and Petro will be given Pape Sy's former jersey just to see if anyone can tell the difference.

[+] Enlarge

Fernando Medina/Getty ImagesThe departure of Marvin Williams and Joe Johnson makes Atlanta a player in 2013 free agency.

That's the summary, but let's zoom out to the big picture. I'm not sure anybody has put together all the dots on this, but consider the following:

• Josh Smith is from Atlanta.

• Dwight Howard is from Atlanta.

• Dwight Howard and Josh Smith played together in high school and remain friends; in fact Howard was the best man in Smith's wedding.

• Chris Paul is not from Atlanta, but is from North Carolina and wanted to play in Atlanta coming out of college.

• Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Josh Smith all will be free agents next summer.

• Dwight Howard's main target in 2013 free agency, Brooklyn, just used up all its potential cap space in Monday's trade with Atlanta.

• Atlanta now has only two players under contract for 2013-14, center Al Horford and first-round pick John Jenkins, and will have well north of $40 milion in cap room.

• Atlanta could rather easily trade Horford, an All-Star center with a below-market contract, to create more room if needed.

Yes, this is the real endgame for Atlanta: Not just Howard, but Howard and CP3. The Hawks are now in position to do it, and can get to that point in several different ways.

It's just an idea right now, but it's an unbelievable, transformative idea. Twenty-four hours ago everybody looked at this franchise and wondered if they could eke out another second-round playoff berth before Johnson's contract swallowed them whole. Now the questions are regarding whether Atlanta could get good wing players to pair up with their three stars.

I can't overstate how huge it would be for this franchise in particular, one that has foundered locally with poor attendance and embarrassing TV ratings, symbolized by the poor PA announcer begging somebody, anybody, to cheer during sparsely attended January weekday games ... or, for that matter, playoff games.

This would finally, after four decades of being an afterthought in this sports market -- four decades in which the Hawks have yet to make an Eastern Conference finals -- establish Atlanta as a place that mattered, a Hawks game as a worthwhile diversion, and perhaps, this franchise as something more than an occasional diversion from college football.

Unbelievably, they can now get there. The most obvious way is to wait until 2013. Atlanta can sign Paul and Howard to max contracts next summer, re-sign Smith for roughly the same money he makes now (which would trump any other offer he'd likely get since the Hawks can give him a five-year deal), and likely juuuuuust squeeze in under the current cap.

The Hawks can get there in other ways too, however. Consider the fact that if Orlando decides to deal Howard sooner rather than later, Atlanta's likely offer of Horford, Teague, Jenkins and/or draft picks is likely to be as good or better than anything anybody else offers. (This, obviously, is pending whether Houston is willing to truly throw in the kitchen sink on a Howard rental).

Such a move would give Atlanta zero contracts on their books besides Howard's heading into the 2013-14 offseason; again, they could sign Paul into their cap space, re-up Smith and be on their way. Alternatively, they could make a similar offer for Paul via trade, sign Howard in free agency, and be on their way.

The wild card in all this, obviously, is whether Atlanta is still on "The List" for either of these players, or for Smith for that matter, who had been angling for a trade. But Smith's gripe was never with his hometown, but rather with the fact that the Hawks never seemed committed to winning. It's a lot tougher to make that argument if they go out and get Howard and Paul.

NBA Free Agency

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Similarly, Atlanta becomes a lot more attractive for Howard if it seems ready to commit to building a long-term winner, and has a GM who can do something more than shoot money out a firehouse. And more attractive to CP3, obviously, if Howard and Smith are there too, and the team isn't owned by Donald Sterling.

It's a perfect storm, in other words, and one has to presume that Ferry didn't start down this road without at least a wink and a nod that this might be doable.

As for New Jersey, this is what happens when you're desperate. I've killed them for other reckless moves, but this one actually wasn't thatterrible. They replaced one year of $14 million of flotsam with one year of a $20 million Joe Johnson, and then signed Joe Johnson to a three-year, $69 million deal on top of that. Not ideal, perhaps, but again they're desperate to have a compelling product for their relocation to Brooklyn. (And trust me as a Jersey boy, this is a relocation. People in New Jersey only vaguely know where Brooklyn is; forget about actually going there).

The Nets cover themselves with a go-to option in Johnson if Deron Williams leaves, give themselves a very good spot-up shooter and secondary scorer if Williams goes, and give themselves a great shot at being a top-four seed in the East. Brooklyn's starting lineup will be among the best in basketball, presuming it re-signs Kris Humphries and Brook Lopez, and a bench (speculatively) of Jason Kidd, Mirza Teletovic and MarShon Brooks will at least be respectable in the backcourt. A lack of frontcourt depth and porous defense will keep them from contending for anything important, but they'll be entertaining enough to put fannies in seats, and that was the idea.

However, Utah baffles me. The Jazz just took on an extra year of Marvin Williams at $7.5 million, and I have no idea why. While Williams isn't a bad player, he's not worth this amount and he does little to solve Utah's twin needs of perimeter shooting and real backcourt players. While the Jazz have a ton of cap room in 2013-14, Williams eats into it, and that paper cap room is going to disappear in a hurry if Utah tries to retain any of its own free agents -- such as Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap or Mo Williams.

The fact they just handed Danny Ferry a free pass to potential world domination -- and, ironically, paved the path to their getting Paul with a trade of Williams, the man Atlanta took instead of him in the 2005 draft -- is another reason to question this deal; at the least they should be getting a first-round pick for their trouble.

[GameTime]

Thanks, that article got me pumped.

"The fact they just handed Danny Ferry a free pass to potential world domination -- and, ironically, paved the path to their getting Paul with a trade of Williams, the man Atlanta took instead of him in the 2005 draft -- is another reason to question this deal; at the least they should be getting a first-round pick for their trouble."

Wow. Ferry is taking them to the cleaners. If he doesn't win executive of the year this year....

Edited July 3, 2012 by GameTime

[Diesel]

Harris Rerouted and Farmar bought out.Who is going to be our PG???

[CoolUsernameHere]

This article is really exciting-- it makes me want to get my hopes up. I'm trying really hard to maintain some self-control.

[JohnnyCASH]

can we just give ferry the award?>

Harris Rerouted and Farmar bought out.Who is going to be our PG???

a guy named jeffery teague

[AHF]

Wow. Ferry is taking them to the cleaners. If he doesn't win executive of the year this year....

You don't win it until you sign the guys and complete the picture. Clearing the room is only potential until realized. I'm not complaining, but exec of the year won't be warranted if we end up with a pair of second and third tier free agents.

[Jbrinson]

Harris Rerouted and Farmar bought out.Who is going to be our PG???

Yeah I didn't understand that either. I would love to keep at least one of those guys. Preferably Farmar.

[Jbrinson]

I really want to keep Teague. I like to keep drafted players on team. Not all, just guys who produce. I doubt that Ferry can get Howard. He's been great so far but I'd hug Ferry if he could get us Dwight without giving up everything.

[Dejay]

If Chris Paul, Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Dwight Howard are staging a similar party at Philips like Team Voltron once did in South Beach, the league should rename the Executive of the Year trophy after him.From a stale team who was debating the merits of Mike Scott, to having national folks give realistic scenarios about two superstar players potentially joining us a year from now. Imagine that...

Edited July 3, 2012 by Dejay

[capstone21]

I want to keep Harris. He was a former all star and a better point guard then Teague. I am still not thrilled with the move of Joe but it will be the results that makes a difference. I don't want a boat load of cap next season and have no results.

[DrReality]

Loved the line about pape sy and Johan Never Thot I'd see the day

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Thanks for the good read. Why does the 2013 offseason have to be a year away? lol

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

I'm lost here D, where did Harris go?

He's just speculating right now, but its very probable that Harris ends up getting traded before the deadline. Edited July 3, 2012 by PSSSHHHRRR87

[LucastheThird]

Can someone fill me in? Where did Harris go?Edit: Already answered

Edited July 3, 2012 by alejandro09

[frankthetank966]

If we don't keep Harris I will be PISSED! I've wanted him in a Hawks uniform for years. We wont have Kirk and Farmar. We wont have a starting SG, we need Harris! Don't be silly and deal him. He has 15 PPG, 5 APG, 3RPG potential. We could use someone like that.

[frankthetank966]

I want to keep Harris. He was a former all star and a better point guard then Teague. I am still not thrilled with the move of Joe but it will be the results that makes a difference. I don't want a boat load of cap next season and have no results.

I agree 100%. He could be better than Teague. This brings in competition in the PG for the first time in probably a decade. The Hawks haven't had true competition at the PG position in years. It was either given to Bibby and then finally Teague. Harris could turn his career around. He was the real deal in NJ. Hawks would be foolish to deal him. We need a body and he could be legit.

[JohnnyCASH]

If we don't keep Harris I will be PISSED! I've wanted him in a Hawks uniform for years. We wont have Kirk and Farmar. We wont have a starting SG, we need Harris! Don't be silly and deal him. He has 15 PPG, 5 APG, 3RPG potential. We could use someone like that.

i somewhat agree only if they cant get anyone else or flip harris for a starting 2 guard

[Joker]

I just realize that Brooklyn could be a top 2-3 seed in the East.Deron/Kidd/TaylorJoe/BrooksWallace/GreenHump/EuroLopez/EuroThat's a damn good team. Joe can finally be a Robin. Deron is the superstar. Wallace is their Iggy. Hump is solid on offense. Lopez is solid as well at center. They have average depth.

[Plainview1981]

They might have a shot for a year or two, but Joe and Wallace are getting at that stage... And for Wallace, who knows what he will be once his athletic ability starts dropping off. Lopez is good, but injury prone.

I just realize that Brooklyn could be a top 2-3 seed in the East.Deron/Kidd/TaylorJoe/BrooksWallace/GreenHump/EuroLopez/EuroThat's a damn good team. Joe can finally be a Robin. Deron is the superstar. Wallace is their Iggy. Hump is solid on offense. Lopez is solid as well at center. They have average depth.

They might have a shot for a year or two, but Joe and Wallace are getting at that stage... And for Wallace, who knows what he will be once his athletic ability starts dropping off. Lopez is good, but injury prone.