Spurs Eying Josh Smith Trade
Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
It might not be the easy move, but the Atlanta Hawks are willing to part ways with their All-Star forward Josh Smith before the Feb. 21 deadline.
Smith, who will become a free agent this offseason, will reportedly seek a max deal if he were to stay in Atlanta. However, the Hawks are unwilling to pay him due to the team’s salary cap restrictions.
The San Antonio spurs are the latest suitor to emerge for Smith, as reported by Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears:
“The Spurs are among the teams with interest in Hawks forward Josh Smith, a source told Yahoo! Sports. Keep in mind, Hawks general manager Danny Ferry was previously with the Spurs.â€
While the Spurs are by no means desperate for another All-Star, Smith would add plenty of athleticism to an otherwise aging team. The “Big Three†of Tim Dunca, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (all over the age of 32) have faired well together in the past half decade, but they lack the versatility and athleticism that could make them an instant favorite for the NBA championship.
In the last few years, the Spurs have fell short of the NBA Finals due to the fact that they couldn’t handle the star power of Oklahoma City Thunder nor the Los Angeles Lakers. They simply didn’t have the talent to compete against such teams. But Smith would inject some life into an otherwise dull and unimaginative offense.
And at 27 years of age, he is in the prime of his career. So far this season, he is averaging 17.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.1 blocks per game. The added help of Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich could also do wonders to his game, keeping him as a balanced player and limiting his outside shots with the bonus of having three other All-Star-caliber players on the floor at the same time.
Though, there are still some unknowns if a proposal were to be met. The Spurs will have to be willing to part with one of their up and coming stars such as a Kawhi Leonard and a draft pick. But details of a possible deal have yet to emerge.
