Josh Smith Available?

[BrooklynBulls]

The Hawks have reportedly been working hard to find a taker for forward Josh Smith in recent weeks.

Atlanta is in a tough situation financially, as both Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams are free agents.

Smith has a history of disagreements with coach Mike Woodson, and would likely be coveted on the trade market.

However, there is a $6 million trade kicker attached to his contract, which could scare some teams off.

"You are going to see very few owners willing to do things like that anymore," one GM said. "I'm not saying he's impossible to trade. There are a few owners like Paul Allen, James Dolan, Mark Cuban and maybe Daniel Gilbert who would pay the money. But there aren't many."

As per wiretap. So what do you say? Should we go get him?

[Ben]

What do you suggest? Deng for Smith, after July 1?

[kulaz3000]

Huge talent, but he is a bit of volatile player.

[Ralphb07]

I'll probably be alone in saying this but I'd rather have Deng over Smith.... I not that high on Smith

[Hangtime84]

I'll probably be alone in saying this but I'd rather have Deng over Smith.... I not that high on Smith

+1

[Ralphb07]

I'll probably be alone in saying this but I'd rather have Deng over Smith.... I not that high on Smith

+1

I'm not alone

[HINrichPolice]

Rose to Smith would be kinda fun.

It'd be like what we hoped Rose to Tyrus to look like.

[t-time]

Smith is a very dumb individual. He would have been a good fit during the c-unit days.

[BrooklynBulls]

What do you suggest? Deng for Smith, after July 1?

I like...a lot of variations. I'm pretty excited if this is true. First off, Tyrus is in this deal. They've got no other PF besides Smith. They''ve got to like and take Tyrus. After that, I'm seeing either: Miller (gives them a stopgap, saves tremendous money), Hinrich (Bibby's old, Law sucks complete ass), or Deng (if they don't want to pay Marvin Williams the big bucks).

I don't particularly like Josh Smith. But he's still a good player. And hell, his contract is pretty reasonable for his production. And he's signed longterm. IMO, this won't decrease the chance of Bosh or Amare, it'll increase it. Smith is a pretty good trading piece. He'll probably look even better at our pace.

[boogydown]

Tyrus 2.0

[Three34]

Can you foresee a situation where we have a forward duo of Luol Deng and Josh Smith, and we're paying that duo a combined $25 million a season, in a lineup alongside Rose and Noah? I can. And I hate it.

I would rather wait out the miniscule chance of Tyrus becoming a star than I would acquire Smith. It's not because he's regressed, because he's almost as boring as Rose, because he argues with coaches, or even because of his stupid nickname. I just don't think he's that good. He's a help defender, a finisher on the break, a decent passer and a solid finisher on the inside. That's kind of it. He's not much help for a team's offense, rebounds badly for a power forward, and his defense is a mixed bag of strengths and weaknesses. He's not worth it, and the fact that he won't be paid less than $12 million after we trade from him is kind of a clincher on that.

It'll be $13 million a year for a 6'8 power forward who doesn't rebound well, can't shoot, turns it over more times than you've had hot carls, whose attitude is kind of crap and whose defense is highly overrated. I don't want this.

[Chicago-Bull-E]

I'll probably be alone in saying this but I'd rather have Deng over Smith.... I not that high on Smith

+1

If he had his head on right and didnt have a low bball IQ, I would be all over this. But he doesnt, so Im not. +2.

[klvanzu]

Josh Smith isn't really any better than Tyrus, and they're extremely similar players. Might as well keep the cheaper of the two.

[Mr. Tibbs]

well he is better than tyrus, but still not worth that kinda money. and if he has a jump shot yet, I haven't seen it.

[BrooklynBulls]

If Tyrus turns out to be good, it will in the overwhelming likelihood be next year. Contract years are just funny like that. So the question is, are you in favor of paying Tyrus for that good play, or Josh Smith on his current contract? If you say that it doesn't make a difference, you think it'll be roughly equal, then the trade can be considered a Tyrus-Smith switch with a Deng or Hinrich dump thrown in.

And if Tyrus DOESN'T get any better, well then you've just missed your chance to upgrade your PF position, and that chance doesn't occur every day.

I'm not seeing too much downside here. I think he's an exciting player, I think he fits this team, I think he's going to get better because he's only 24 and his jumper couldn't be any worse, really, and I think the guys we trade him for won't have more of a positive impact than he will.

[Three34]

What do you think makes him a good fit?

[BrooklynBulls]

What do you think makes him a good fit?

Fastbreak ability. More shooting range than Tyrus, but the same EFG on them. As young or younger than the guys we'd trade to get him. Can actually recognize alley oops opportunities. A bad 3 point shooter, but a shooter of it nonetheless. I think his shooting percentages are going to go up. His shot selection improved. From worst in the NBA, to Tyrus-like. Except he makes more of them than does Tyrus. His true shooting was low because of a Chandler-like mental slump at the FT line. He'll return to his norm of 70, his TS will shoot up 10 points, and all of a sudden, he'll be a fairly efficient scorer.

And the best part about the fit is that I can see other teams actually WANTING him, which I can't really say for Deng. So if it's Deng going, woohoo. And since Hinrich's leaving anyway, or so we heard, it's better than trading his ass for the garbage we're almost sure to receive back.

[Three34]

What do you think makes him a good fit?

Fastbreak ability.

Well, OK.

More shooting range than Tyrus, but the same EFG on them.

That's not a reason to take on a guy who is paid 8 figures just o be a marginal upgrade from "cod**** shooter" to "bloody awful shooter".

As young or younger than the guys we'd trade to get him.

He'll be far more expensive, too.

Can actually recognize alley oops opportunities.

Maybe so, but that accounts for like two possessions a game.

A bad 3 point shooter, but a shooter of it nonetheless.

That's a bad thing. Really.

I think his shooting percentages are going to go up. His shot selection improved. From worst in the NBA, to Tyrus-like. Except he makes more of them than does Tyrus. His true shooting was low because of a Chandler-like mental slump at the FT line.

His true shooting percentage sucks because he's a bad three pointer and a worse midrange shooter. He had the worst 2 point jumpshooting percentage of anyone in the league. He was even worse than Tyrus, which is barely even possible. There's no excuses for his horrible shooting - he's just bad at it, yet insists on doing some of it anyway. It's only all the dunk opportunities that redeem hsi FG%.

He'll return to his norm of 70, his TS will shoot up 10 points, and all of a sudden, he'll be a fairly efficient scorer.

Fairly efficient is a bit of a reach. If he's going to be a power forward - and he is, pretty much - then he's going to have to be far more efficient than he is. He's shot over 46% once, and that was last year. And even then, he managed to achieve the above.

This also ignores the rebounding (which he's bad at, and which the Bulls need to improve and not weaken), his Nocioni-like tendency to roam (ditto) and his lack of size for his position (ditto ditto).

And the best part about the fit is that I can see other teams actually WANTING him

If they do, we won't get him cheap in the first place. And if they don't, we'll have pulled a Mike Ashley.

[BrooklynBulls]

The guys we're trading will be as exactly as expensive as he is. Unless you think we'll just let Tyrus walk for nothing. Which I don't. As for him being a poor 3 poor shooter who shoots it anyway, it's still a better attempt than the jumpers Tyrus put up.

I don't defend his rebounding or his D, because I'm not a fan of it. But his career rebound rate is 1.2 points within Tyrus'. And his defense, for now, is still better than Tyrus'. So the things he sucks at...so does Tyrus. And we can't inject the potential argument here...their potentials look roughly equal from where I'm standing. Except Smith is so far, ahead by a good amount.

I don't actually LIKE Josh Smith. But he's better than Tyrus Thomas. And there's two contracts the Bulls just don't need on the team, that Atlanta might like for him. And so I'd like that to happen over salary dumps or nothing. Of course if anyone better is available, Josh Smith is an overpaid cancer.

[Three34]

I agree he's better than Tyrus Thomas. Almost everyone's better than Tyrus Thomas. But that doesn't make Josh Smith the cure. There are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better options than this.