Hawks almost did Josh for Gasol trade?

[Admin]

I don't know who the heck footbasket.com is but I'm posting it anyway since they claim this came from the AJC.

http://www.footbaske...th-gasol-trade/

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Moore, the Atlanta Hawks have known that star forward Josh Smith had wanted out of the team for some time, but they haven’t really aggressively approached any deals until the last month or so. In addition to dealing Joe Johnson, the Hawks have been open to moving Smith, though they’ve resisted offers so far.

New general manager Danny Ferry is interested in remaking the roster and so he’s opened the phone lines finally. One such offer. reported a few days ago, involved Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol.

On Sunday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the reason the deal fell apart was due to the price the Lakers are putting on Gasol. Apparently, the Hawks balked at a potential deal with the Lakers for Gasol because they wanted another major piece to go along with Smith. That would leave the Hawks with less than six players under contract, less talent and no short-term cap relief because of the $38 million and two years remaining on Gasol’s contract.

Ferry looked at the flexibility he would have if he was forced to give up more talent and decided to decline the offer. Which I agree with Ferry another big piece for Gasol wouldn’t have been worth it also because he is getting up there in age now.

Whatever the Lakers were seeking in return, Gasol is the one that is far more considered a damaged good while Smith’s best years are in front of him. Wherever they move him, they seem to be invested in simply giving away the farm. The Hawks have never really put Smith at the top of their priorities list, anyway.

When he entered restricted free agency a few years ago, they simply waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies, with a few bucks left under the cap, threw out a moderate offer for Smith that was below maybe his true value. Smith signed it, hoping the Hawks wouldn’t match.

They’ve been neither excited to have him, nor willing to part with him, ever since. Whether that’s due to his maturity, his game or his contract value is unknown. But Ferry has entered, and as CBS Sports’ Ken Berger notes, they have been aggressive in reshaping this team.

The trick now is to find that delicate balance between ensuring they move him and not moving him for too little. It’s not enough that they would get a younger, more athletic, more aggressive and All-Star worthy power forward entering his prime for a player that has been absolutely eclipsed in the past two playoffs. The Lakers have to demand that they get an additional piece.

And in a lot of deals in the past, that’s worked. If the Lakers really want to get a replacement for Gasol, they can do that pretty easily and get a quality player. But they have to put another name like Antawn Jamison and Steve Blake perhaps to go along with Gasol.

Just Gasol and a couple of draft picks will not be enough for a top-tier player like Smith. It is obvious the Lakers are looking to either move Gasol or to get a young up-and-coming star to fill his shoes to go along Dwight Howard.

I don’t feel it’s about trying to get rid of Gasol, but it’s more of the Lakers trying to get younger for the future so they are still a franchise to reckoned with when Kobe Bryant retires after next as he proclaims. Plus, with Smith and Howard being high school teammates and great friends, it’s a win-win situation.

We will see what the Lakers will do before the trade deadline in February, along with the Hawks if they finally grant Smith with his trade wishes.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

I read this article too... I don't believe it. The writer acts like Smith still has trade demands and makes it sound like Ferry is the one that is actively shopping Smith and that the Lakers are the one who have turned it down. All the reports recently have reported it the other way around - Kupchak has been pursuing Smith, but is greedy and wants Korver too. Also, there have been reports lately that the Hawks have no interest in trading Smith, nor is Smith interested in playing for any other team but the Hawks. His trade demands have been long gone. The last sentence shows his ignorance on the subject. What this article looks like to me is one of those Bleacher Report types wanting to write articles and is probably a Lakers fan or at least doesn't pay attention to the Hawks. Chalk it up as another non-credible site.

[MaceCase]

He is just reiterating from past reports, nothing of new substance here.We already knew that Sund before he left was having talks on a Josh for Gasol trade but the Lakers wanted significant assets in addition to him.Ferry took over and saw the price as being too high and declined.You can tell this is old because the writer is mentioning having less than 6 players under contract. Here is what the roster was at the time of the first discussion which occured right at the end of the season:AlJoshJoeMarvinZazaTeagueWe all knew that either Marvin or Zaza would have to be included to match salaries so I'm betting Jeffrey and picks were the additional assets that the Lakers were asking for to complete the deal.

[tonegully]

Gasol is to old anyways to be owed all that cash. The Lakers can keep him. They dont have anything else to add to the Gasol trade anyways thats worth anything. They dont have no firsts and no one on that bench is worth taking either.

[Diesel]

IF the Lakers did offer Gasol and wanted too much back. What they may have wanted back were Josh and Lou. To which I say Hell no. Josh and Teague gets a big hell no also.

[Vol4ever]

Josh will be traded!

[bruincoach]

Vol4ever. You don't KNOW he will be traded. BUT I think he will be too

[Jody23]

Josh will be traded!

Will he or won't? The suspense is killin' me. Lol. Either way, I just want to have a contending team to cheer for.

[Kimsey]

Sund was just sleepwalking his last year as GM. Matter of fact, after the Jamal Crawford trade, he basically stop trying to improve the team.

[frosgrim]

Sund was just sleepwalking his last year as GM. Matter of fact, after the Jamal Crawford trade, he basically stop trying to improve the team.

I don't think that was Sund's decission. The ownership wanted out. It wasn't until the sale to the pizza guy fell through in the summer that Levinson decided to commit to the Hawks. Thus, ;ast year was really just a caretaker year for Sund, because ownership assumed they'd sale the team.