The trade deadline approaches and rumors are running rampant, including those involving Josh Smith.
The Hawks forward will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Both the Hawks and Smith have said there will be no contract talks during the season, each preferring to wait until after the year to decide in which direction to go. Smith did tell the AJC’s Jeff Schultz that he believes he is worth a maximum contract.
In the simplest of terms, following the season Smith can get a maximum deal of four years, about $70 million from another team or five years, about $94 million from the Hawks. Certainly, there is the possibility of something in between.
There have been no contract talks between the Hawks and Smith since the start of the season. I am told, by multiple sources, that a report that the Hawks have told Smith they will not pay him a maximum contract and are actively trying to trade him is not accurate.
Are there trade talks going on? Most certainly with the trade deadline on Feb. 21 there likely have been talks about every player in the Hawks locker room at some point. An organization typically wants to know the market for its players and/or players they might be interested in acquiring. It’s part of the game.
It makes for some anxious moments.
“It’s important for us to know we are in this type of business,” Al Horford said. “It’s a great business and we enjoy playing in the NBA. All the guys are very professional. I know there is speculation about Josh, or whoever it is, everybody is very professional about it. We are coming out here and playing. We are aware of it. I don’t think we are letting it affect what we have here.”
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