Sign Steve Smith

[clrumph]

I think it would be a great idea to sign Steve Smith. He could provide leadership and outside shooting to this team while we make the transition to playing the younger guys more during the course of next year. I also like that fact that Steve can be a mentor to Josh Childress and also be a player-coach type presence in the locker room like Avery Johnson in Dallas. As a matter of fact, I think Childress's game is a lot like Steve's was before he hurt he knee. The only difference is that Steve's range on his jump shot was deeper coming out of Mich. St. In addition, Steve has always expressed a desire to return to the Hawks and work in the front office, so maybe after this year BK can find a job for Steve to keep him in the organization. I think it is always valuable to bring back smart former players to work in the front office because they already have a built-in passion for their team, a la 'Nique and Joe Dumars.

I think if we sign Kenny Anderson, Kevin Willis, and Steve Smith to cap friendly deals then our team will be set for the start of the year and we will also retain the flexibility to make trades at the deadline to benefit our long-term future. For example, I really like the fact that we were able to draft Josh Smith from the draft pick we gained for the Rasheed Wallace trade. Hopefully we can strike gold again by using our cap space to broker a deal or two around the 2005 trade deadline.

By the way, BK is doing a masterful job not overpaying for aging veterans (like Babcock used to do). $73M for Damp? Give me a break! Dallas will regret that deal as much as we regretted the Alan Henderson deal (well, maybe not that much!)

[swolehawk2]

I would not complain one bit with those signings...of course they would be short term deals.

[capstone21]

I would rather Clark then Willis but I like the idea of bringing back Smith.

Clark is younger and better then WIllis and due to his injury last year we could problably get him at the same price. He would be a bargain. Willis now a days is only good for spot minutes. Clark and Drob can share center minutes and he also can play the PF.

Getting Smith would be a good pickup as we prepare for the Childress era at sg. Smith can start until Childress is ready to take over.

[clrumph]

Good point about Clark. I actually would prefer him over Willis also, but maybe Clark is looking for more than a 1-year vet minimum deal to sign here. That is the only reason why I think BK wouldn't have already signed him. Then again, if Clark is willing to sign for the vet minimum he can just about go anywhere he wants so we will have competition for him at that price (like Steven Hunter when chose the same minimum contract from Phoenix instead of taking our offer. That was stupid as hell because Hunter could have showcased his limited skills with more playing time here and then maybe we would have looked to sign him to a longer term contract if he impressed us. He is not going to play much if at all behind Stoudamire.), so we may have to slighthly overpay for Clark if we really want him. I'm also a little wary of Clark's injury history over the last two years though, that's why I don't want to give him more than the minimum. He will do us no good looking pretty on the bench like my man Henderson did for the last few years!

If we have already offered Clark a contract he should accept it and try to put big numbers this year and get a bigger contract as a FA next year. He should have noticed how well that worked out for Stephen Jackson. If I was a player like Clark or Hunter Atlanta would be my favorite destination because I would have the opportunity to play my way into a fatter contract the following year. No one said that NBA player's were geniuses, but you would think there agents would talk some sense into them!

By the way, I'm pretty sure Willis will play for the 1-year vet minimum because he still lives here and I don't think there is much interest for him around the league because of the reasons you stated.

[DominiqueWilkins]

Steve Smith would be great to have back, and to take our young guys under his wing.

I would also like to have Keon Clark over Kevin Willis.

[Blunt91]

I say give Clark a million dollars for 1year. If Hunter is worth 720,000 then Clark is worth a million since he has more experience.

[capstone21]

I would give him 2 mill/yr for 2 years. That is a bargain if he comes to play. Plus to lock him up for two years would be great.

[clrumph]

2 years/ 2 million would be nice but I doubt that Clark's agent would go for that without including a player option for year 2 so that Clark could opt out if he has a good year. That's pretty much the same deal Stephen Jackson signed with us last year.