Random Thoughts on the Josh Smith Situation

steveb21 · Post #1 » by **steveb21** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 7:49 pm

With Josh Smith coming to town this week I started to wonder how this situation will play out...

Atlanta said they will match any offer for Smith. I've heard that a front loaded contract will be hard for them to match. ATL has the right of first refusal so obviously they can retain his rights by matching our offer. I also believe they can go above the cap because they're signing one of their own players. So what difference does the structure of our offer make? Maybe a CBA expert can explain this.

I'm also curious if this may involve Igoudala in any way. If ATL matches and Smith forces a Sign & Trade would they demand Igoudala be part of the deal? From our standpoint it would free up Thad to play SF and give us about 9 mil to sign another SG. I'm not sure how this would benefit ATL.

The last thing is how much of this is real and how much of it is an attempt at misdirection. Aquiring Smith would mean using all of our cap room and we still have other needs to fill. Could he be considering a trade and using this as a smokescreen?

Ed did a solid job in the draft but he knows he's going to be graded on how he uses this cap space...this should make for a interesting (and fun) next few days.

Thoughts?

killbuckner · Post #2 » by **killbuckner** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 7:53 pm

Frontloading is sort of a misnomer. Really what the Sixers would do is put in the maximum possible signing bonus. It would let them basically give Smith a big check up front but it would spread the caphit over the whole contract. The issue is that without Belkin no one knows how much liquid cash the Hawks can come up with.

ZanTabak · Post #3 » by **ZanTabak** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 8:01 pm

The worst thing about signing players to Offersheets is you lose 7 days of the free agent market, so if Atlanta matches its most likely all the top free agents will be signed with other clubs leaving the sixers with Cap room and no big time FA players left

LongLiveHinkie · Post #4 » by **LongLiveHinkie** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 8:03 pm

The Sixers would not trade Iguodala for Smith. Iguodala is a better player. It makes no sense.

Dedicated_76ers_fan · Post #5 » by **Dedicated_76ers_fan** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 8:03 pm

Who says you can't sign other players to offer sheets?

bebopdeluxe · Post #6 » by **bebopdeluxe** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 8:08 pm

I'm not sure that Iggy is a better player than Josh Smith...but the question is whether Iggy is a better fit on this team than Josh Smith.

Johnny Broad-Street · Post #7 » by **Johnny Broad-Street** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 8:09 pm

You can only sign offer sheets totalling your available cash. You cant send out a bunch and see what sticks

chrice · Post #8 » by **chrice** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 8:18 pm

The purpose is to add a piece, not trade a piece for a piece. We're not going to make a lateral move like that. If they match Smith, we'll move on to the next target. Who knows if he's even our primary target. Could be Brand, could be B-diddy. Maybe we'll fish the lotto one more year and see where it takes us.

bebopdeluxe · Post #9 » by **bebopdeluxe** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 8:23 pm

If we came out of FA with JSmith and Ellis...losing Iguodala...I would view that as an upgrade.

I'm not saying that I WANT that to happen...but if the only way we can get Smith is in a S&T, and they would be willing to accept Iggy (giving us the cap room to hit Ellis with an offer sheet), I can't say that I would be hugely upset.

doctor him · Post #10 » by **doctor him** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 8:31 pm

If Atlanta demands Iguodala for Josh Smith I do it and then turn around and offer $7 million to Josh Childress whom they couldn't keep at the money to back up Iguodala and Marvin WIlliams.

Then you have Smith as your 4 and Childress as your 2 and you pray for a great ball handling 1 in next year's draft.

Post #11 » by **dbodner** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 9:01 pm

Dedicated_76ers_fan wrote:Who says you can't sign other players to offer sheets?

the collective bargaining agreement.

CPops57 · Post #12 » by **CPops57** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 9:09 pm

I wouldn't mind adding Smith if we didn't have Thad, but we already have one of the most promising young SFs in the nba, so blowing the most cap room the team is likely to have this decade on Smith leaves me with a bad feeling.

Given that the first stage of grief is denial....I will start there.

I don't know how devious Ed is, but might this be a plot to get the Hawks to overpay for Josh Smith and then sweep up Childress for a reasonable deal after they've maxed out Smith? IMO, Childress is the real free agent prize from the Hawks.

bebopdeluxe · Post #13 » by **bebopdeluxe** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 9:19 pm

CPops:

Don't we have enough 6'6" swingmen?

I mean...I like JChill's game, but unless we are planning to let Iggy walk, I don't know where he would play here...and I certainly do not want to blow my wad on him. I would rather spend our caproom on either a stopgap 4 (like 'Sheed or Marion) or some LEGIT backcourt guys (like Ellis or even a PG like Hinrich) than a swing guy like Childress. Don't get me wrong - on another team, I think he's a valuable guy...but on the Sixers - with Iggy, WGreen and Carney already here - I don't think I want to blow my caproom on him...unless he's the PG of the future.

(Or unless you are planning on lowballing Iggy)

CPops57 · Post #14 » by **CPops57** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 9:50 pm

bebopdeluxe wrote:CPops:

Don't we have enough 6'6" swingmen?

I mean...I like JChill's game, but unless we are planning to let Iggy walk, I don't know where he would play here...and I certainly do not want to blow my wad on him. I would rather spend our caproom on either a stopgap 4 (like 'Sheed or Marion) or some LEGIT backcourt guys (like Ellis or even a PG like Hinrich) than a swing guy like Childress. Don't get me wrong - on another team, I think he's a valuable guy...but on the Sixers - with Iggy, WGreen and Carney already here - I don't think I want to blow my caproom on him...unless he's the PG of the future.

(Or unless you are planning on lowballing Iggy)

I'm just trying to come up with an alternative explanation for this apparent interest in Josh Smith that doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. For the record, I'd prefer Brand and Ellis and a few others before Childress as well.

conleyorbust · Post #15 » by **conleyorbust** » Tue Jul 1, 2008 10:14 pm

Why would the Sixers want Childress at anything more than the MLE (and if he ends up being the MLE, other teams will be willing to pay)?

If I'm not mistaken, you have the worst 3pt shooting team in the league right now (not meant to be an insult, we have a crappy perimeter shooting team too). Only 25% of the shots Josh takes are jump shots. He gets his points the same way Sam Dalembert does, he hangs around the baseline and waits for his defender to lose him for a second and then flashes open or he grabs and offensive board. He is a very bad fit for Philly.

Sixers1983 · Post #16 » by **Sixers1983** » Wed Jul 2, 2008 1:33 am

I still think we are not going to end up with smith. I'd like to get him, but even if the hawks match whatever our offer is, the time lost while they decide will not be critical. They will get their power forward through trade so the teams looking to unload a bad contract or two will definately wait on ed.

freshie2 · Post #17 » by **freshie2** » Wed Jul 2, 2008 9:21 am

But do they want to get a bad contract or a problem player? So far this morning, I've read trades for Sheed, Jackson, and Zach Randolph. So they should give up picks/players/cash to bring in these types of players who get them no closer to a championship than eating the cap space? Smith isn't my first choice, but he's a better fit than any of those 3 long term.

sixers_610 · Post #18 » by **sixers_610** » Wed Jul 2, 2008 11:10 am

I don't understand the whole Josh Smith thing. This team's problem is inside scoring. Does he address that as a "PF?"

freshie2 · Post #19 » by **freshie2** » Wed Jul 2, 2008 11:16 am

No, but I think they are banking on his upside as a potential 'star' type player. His game needs to improve considerably, but I think that's the mind set...if he can ultimately become a more traditional PF, then his athleticism/skill set are very high end. I'm not so much concerned with the physical tools, but I don't know about his mental approach to the game. Anyone who shoots such a low % from 3 should not hoist them up as readily...not sure how much coaching can help to limit/improve those attempts, but I would think as a player at this level, he would recognize the weakness and address it.

SendEm · Post #20 » by **SendEm** » Wed Jul 2, 2008 11:19 am

sixers_610 wrote:I don't understand the whole Josh Smith thing. This team's problem is inside scoring. Does he address that as a "PF?"

People just want to be entertained. :lol:

I believe that Comcast is pursuing Smith just to put butts back in the seats. Being a first round and done playoff team with a SF at the PF position will keep the fans in the seats. Iggy, Dalembert and Smith were #5.#6, and #11 in total dunks last season. This is the product that Stefanski and Comcast desire to put on the floor this upcoming season . Forget about a basketball team, they want a product.