Shareef to the Nets? Does this mean K-Mart is gone

[Admin]

I think that if this rumored deal does go down and Shareef becomes a NET is basically says that they arent interested in resigning K-Mart since they play the same position. I dont know why you would give up Kittles and an athletic PF that fits your style of play to trade for Reef when they will be making approximately the same amount of money.

I might in the minority, but I am hoping that we end up with K-Mart this offseason no matter who we end up drafting.

[Plainview1981]

Reef don't fit. He isn't fast or athletic enough. They

should just keep K Mart instead of trading for a overpaid

soft loser like Reef.

[KB21]

I've heard several radio sources state that they beleive the Hawks will pony up some money for Kenyon Martin. I hope that isn't the case, because I'd hate to pay a guy a max contract or close to the max when he is far from a complete player.

I trust that Billy Knight has more sense than that. I don't think he will give Martin a big contract knowing full well that he isn't worth it.

[Admin]

It might not and probably wont take a max contract to sign K-Mart. I would bet that we can get him for around 9-10 mil a season with a 4-5 year deal. If NJ trades for SAR they are out of the bidding for K-Mart as far as I would guess, which pretty much leaves us with the capspace and mutual desire to see K-Mart as a Hawk. He is the perfect fit for this team at PF and I am really hoping that we do everything short of a max contract to sign him. I have heard that we will offer the max to him if thats what it takes though.

[Diesel]

I think it is far more likely that the Blazers would take Ray Allen for Shareef... Seattle seems to be putting Allen on the Market and Seattle has always had a need for a Pf.

NJ on the other hand may have given up on the thought of paying Martin big money and if a team like Atlanta is going to pony up the max, they probably will send Kittles off to a team like Dallas and reap back one of the Antwains.

[pathway23]

NJ's payroll is 59.9 mil Diesel. People have been saying they don't want to give Kmart the max, and the market will likely price him in JT's range. I don't want him for any more than that and I'm sure Knight is thinking the same way, that he isn't worth a max or even more than 8 or 9 mil a year.

[Admin]

I dont know if it was you or someone else but I read that yesterday about the market putting K-Mart in JT's range.

I just cannot see that happening. This is a guy that many are thinking will be making 10-13+ mil per season with his new contract and you thinking that he will get JT type money which is only about 6 mil per year? I just cant see that happening. I suppose anything is possible, but I would be really surprised to see that happen. I do think that we might be the only team that makes a serious run at K-Mart though so we could get lucky. I dont think that we will sit around and wait for the market to dictate his new contract value though if he is the guy that we really want.

[jezmund]

That would be fantastic, IMO, if we could get K-Mart for JT money. His defense/competitiveness alone is worth JT money.

[pathway23]

If we could get him for a Hendu contract I'd be OK with that, just not the max.

[hawkster411]

If we do sign Kenyon Martin, my concern is if K-Mart can handle a losing season.

After one year with the Hawks, will K-Mart desire a trade? If so, that would hurt the Hawks image of rebuilding a championship team.

I do not want to question his heart, but a player like K-Mart seems like an impatient individual who hates losing. In time, he might want to get out of Atlanta and may hinder the rebuilding process.

[jezmund]

Yes, that could be a distraction but it could also be a blessing. If we get JT out of town and get a steady PG with experience than I could see us winning more games than we have any of the last 4 seasons. I, for some reason, have a lot of confidence in Mr. Billy Knight, at least in the draft. He will draft players that can contribute.