Hawks Asking Price Is Too High for Pistons to Pull Trigger on Josh Smith Trade
Smoov in Motor City?Over the weekend, we heard about two serious offers on the table for Josh Smith - one from a “Western Conference power and the other from an East Coast big dog.” Though we still don’t know who that West team is, the Pistons have emerged as that East Coast big dog.
The Detroit Free-Press confirmed that Detroit sat down with Atlanta about two weeks ago to discuss sign-and-trade options, but talks have seriously cooled since. In Pistons GM Joe Dumars‘ estimation, the Hawks are asking for too much in return for Smoove.
A team source confirmed the Pistons did approach the Atlanta Hawks weeks ago about a possible sign-and-trade deal involving restricted free agent small forward Josh Smith, but said Sunday that the two teams haven’t talked in weeks.
The source indicated the Hawks were asking for too much, and both sides walked away from any possible deal.
If Atlanta’s price tag is so high that no one will trade with them, they run the risk of having Smith play for the $3.2 million option in ATL this year and then having teams offer him the full monty when he becomes an unrestricted free agent for the ‘09-10 season.
What could Atlanta be asking for in return that has brought these talks to a halt? They seemed willing to part with both Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince if they were going to get a bona fide superstar in return (T-Mac, ‘Melo). But Smith is obviously not on that order.
What’s a fair deal between these two squads? Prince and a 2nd rounder for Smith?
Source: Detroit Free Press
July 28th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
YOUNGFED says:
Damn Andy Katz there’s gotta be some kinda rules to this ish. How you gonna not give me credit for puttin’ yall up on this story. This is an all time low.
BILLUPS AND TAY IS WAAAAAAY TOOOO MUUUUCHHHH!!!
July 28th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Sam I Am says:
Not enough yo…
Detroit needs to throw in a Semi-Pro DVD and some Twizzlers to get all that talent in J. Smith.
Washed up losers like Prince & Billups
July 28th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Sam I Am says:
lol
July 28th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
YOUNGFED says:
See post#37 in today’s Smack to get the real story.
@SamIAm
You’re kidding right.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
YOUNGFED says:
BTW Andrew I’m on the phone with my lawyers “RIGHT NOW” to see about a lawsuit. (lol)
July 28th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Celts Fan says:
Tayshaun, Stuckey/Maxiell (their pick,) and a #1 straight up for JSmooth seems fair.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Luigi says:
lmao @ post 2
i think they’ll take young players n Prince. or maybe Prince and draft pics
but heres something. Prince is the centerpiece of the trades
but ATL could just hold on to smith n hope he likes it kuz in one year. things could REALLY change so hmm.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
jimmhumm says:
Hawks don’t need Billups they already have a shot first pg in Bibby. I would take Sheed and Prince for Smith and Marvin.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
dagwaller says:
If I’m Detroit, I might ask for just a bit of sweetener, like a draft pick, because although Tay isn’t exactly OLD, he and Billups have been playing A LOT of basketball for the past 5 or 6 years, between not getting injured, extended playoff runs, and the national team. They already have the heir apparent at the point, Rip at the two, and having Smith for a few years would be better than having Tay. And of course their veteran frontcourt would be in place, backed up by talented youngsters Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell - in other words, VERY good vets at every position, with VERY good young players at every position.
I don’t see why they WOULDN’T do it, especially if they got even younger with a pick from ATL.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Truth says:
I would give up prince and Rasheed Wallace in Return for Smith and 1 more player, but smith for any two pistons stars staright up is too much.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
YOUNGFED says:
Celts your kidding right. Yall must be forgetin’ about how Tayshaun is really better than Smith each time they meet. Don’t get caught up in the Smith’s age hype.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Truth says:
I WOULD NOT trade billups. Dude is a solid PG, and stuckey ISN’T ready yet. 1 good playoff series doesn’t mean a pg is ready to take the reigns. That’s the quarterback position you talking about, the runner off the offense AND igniter of the defense.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Izzy says:
Prince for Josh Smith?! Come on now. Too high of an asking price. Why the hell would you give up Prince, who can play the 3 and 4(maybe less effectively) and can guard the 2,3 and 4 spots. This is dumb.
Just cause Josh Smith had one good series against Boston. I find it a little crazy the J-Smoove bandwagon is that large. He is a great player, granted, but has yet to change a series. He can’t shoot, and isnt the grind it out defender.
Too high of an asking price.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Zach says:
Celts fan wtf are you talking about NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. Joe D is way smarter than that
July 28th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Truth says:
@celts
get off the drugs celts!! LOL!!
July 28th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
YOUNGFED says:
Also Prince got the Nod as an Olympian not Smith. Prince has the Ring not Smith. Don’t get it twisted people.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
tealish says:
I’d give up more for Josh Smith than I would for T-mac. That said, I wouldn’t give up both Billups and Prince for either of them.
July 28th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Michorizo says:
How about Ron Artest for Josh Smith?
July 28th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
dagwaller says:
Or maybe Billups/Prince for Bibby/Smith. Pistons lose out on the PG trade, but win out in the SF trade. That way, they have extra insurance at the 1, and get younger at the 3.
Hawks get better instantly, if only for a couple years (before either drop off or contracts run out).
More fair for the Pistons?
July 28th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Kobeef says:
@Celts
I agree. Billups is done in 2 years so you don’t need that contract weighing down your young core. If the Hawks want anything from Detroit it is young talent (Tay, Stuckey, Amir.
The only reason the guys on this board are giving you a hard time is because they are all Detroit homers and yeah..from detroit’s perspective I don’t get a trade for young talent unless they are clearing house (i.e. getting rid of the old guys - Wallace, Billups, MCDyess)
Smith’s value is at an elite level right now so I don’t blame Atlanta for refusing anything less than a future star in return (Bynum, Oden, Al Jefferson). They should try for a center and give marvin Williams some run next season before deciding what to do with him. He is a better shooter and ballhandler than Smith
July 28th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
aj says:
Why’s everyone want to dump Prince? He should be a mainstay for the Pistons. Should be close to untouchable, especially trading for another 3. If you could swap him for a 1, 5 or true PF that can score then maybe.
The Pistons need Prince more than they need any of their other players.
July 28th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Bone says:
Well Detroit is either going to have to trade Prince or Rasheed to make this work (depending on whether or not they plan on playing Smith at the 3 or 4). I know ‘Dyess technically plays the 4 but I do not think Atlanta wants his old ass.
This kind of reminds of three summers ago when the Spurs signed Brent Barry and all the talking heads were acting like they had signed MJ in his prime, like Barry was the missing link. Smith is a young, talented player, but if he is your second or third best player, you aren’t winning the ‘chip.
Smith and #1 with a LOT of protection for Rasheed and Maxiell (Prince duplicates Marvin Williams position).
Pistons:
PG - Billups
SG - Hamilton
SF - Prince
PF - Smith
C - McDyess
6th - Stuckey
Hawks
PG - Bibby
SG - Johnson
SF - Marvin Williams
PF - Maxiell
C - Rasheed
6th - Who cares, rest of the squad sucks
July 28th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Kobeef says:
@Bone (a.k.a. Bonehead)
Um, Al Horford sucks? Oo….k.
Anyway…the other secret about the Hawks is that Marvin Williams is more like a 6-10 SF and not the 6′8 he is listed. Look at any pic of Marvin beside JSmoove or Horford and he is as tall or taller than those guys who are listed at 6′9 or 6′10.
The Hawks are praying that someone reaches to get JSmoove and gives them another star (PG or C) to match with JJ, Williams and Horford who are the only guys they are committed to for the long term.
Here’s a pic of Marvin beside Horford (6′10) (http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/p5/20080501/04/2255887258.jpg)
July 28th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
fiyaman says:
Rasheed and Affalo for Smith and Law..
July 28th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Celts Fan says:
@everyone. Smooth is the one people are after and Detroit seems willing to trade Tayshaun to get “more athletic,” which Josh definitely fits the bill on. Throw in a young guy (though maybe Stuckey shouldn’t be included in the young guys they can choose) and a #1 (keep in mind, we’re talking late 20s here, not lottery) and it seems about even.
You also have to keep in mind that Josh is just 22, so despite being in the league for a minute, he’s just scratching the surface…
July 28th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Celts Fan says:
and I’ve said beofre I’d keep the team together and make another run at it. 6 games in the ECF isn’t exactly a failure, why break it up? Just going off of what they seem to want to do…
July 28th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Three Stacks says:
Geez, all of a sudden Tayshaun is untouchable? I wonder if Atlanta really asked for both Tay and Billups for Smoove and probably Speedy Claxton. They can’t be serious about that, right?
I’m guessing the Hawks were asking for Tayshaun, Stuckey/Maxiell, and a first rounder, which I agree is too much for Smith. If it was Prince, Amir Johnson, and a 2nd rounder, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
July 28th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
fiyaman says:
also I dont agree with anyone who says Prince is better that Smith..I wud take smith hands down.. Tayshaun is the one thats overrated.. the Pistons are so gd 2gether they hide each others weakneses but they have no one thats really a game changer or a consistent gamechanger.. if Atl was asking for Prince i wud do that in a heartbeat it just depends on what else they want..
I’ll be the 1st to say it..
Tayshaun is overrated and once he leaves the luxury of Detroit or once Sheed is out we all we see the truth..
(I’m not saying he sucks he’s just not untouchable or even not as valuable as everyone makes it seem..
July 28th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
L3gend says:
Tayshaun, Maxiell and cash for J smoove
July 28th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Bone says:
Yeah that’s my bad…I totally forgot about Al Horford…that’s what I get for trying to comemnt and work at the same time…anyway, I think they still make the trade above, I don’t think Prince fits them unless they are trading Marvin Williams.
July 28th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Droc says:
i believe they wanted tay and amir. which is too much.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
BlazeMcHerbs says:
Atlanta is ready to let Smith go because it would make them better. Prince will provide the defense without the big paycheck. They still keep JJ, Williams and Horford. They really should have kept Chidlress, but since he’s gone, i think they need to ask for Prince and Amir Johnson.
I dont know why Detroit is willing to give up Prince for Smith. Other than having a Big Name ticket seller, there is really not much benefits, I dont see the team getting any better with this trade, and they would have commited a lot of money to one player.
I’d love to have JSMOOVE on my team, but i’m not paying that much for him.
I think Horford is the player the Pistons should be after, Pistons frontcourt isnt getting any younger, and I think Horford will be a 18pts, 12 rebs type of player. Or they should call the Bobcats about Okafor, I think Billups and Sheed for Okafor plus a pick or Felton is something Detroit can live with.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
BlazeMcHerbs says:
Stuckey/Felton
RIP
Prince/Johnson
McDyess/Maxiell
Okafor
I think this line up will cost them less so they have money to spend later on, and they remain a good team that can attract a big time scorer or whatever they need from free agency or a future trade.
I dont know, maybe i’m just on the product.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
BlazeMcHerbs says:
Billups/DJ Augustin/ Earl Boykins
Richardson
Wallace
Sheed
Nazr Mohammed
Plus Billups would reunite with Larry Brown, so Larry cant bitch about not having the right PG, plus Billups would mentor Augustin.
Like i said, maybe im just on the product
July 28th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
tim says:
how about the Pistons verbally agreeing with Kwame Brown? hmmmm….Maybe Sheed can move back to PF now. Then we’ll have a Solid Solid Bench… Dyess, Maxiell, Johnson, Samb, Afflalo, Stuckey…
I’ll take it I guess.
And i still want to see one more Pistons core run with Michael Curry running things…they might even get 60+ wins.
July 28th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Tha Boddy says:
Smith for Prince straight up is a fools trade…Smith is way better than Prince. You all see Prince get covered by the Pistons team but if you move him he will the become crap. Smith is a bonafide all-star in the next few years while Prince is a role player would nobody would ever dream of building around…Smith takes the cake and blocks the hell outta it
July 29th, 2008 at 7:12 am
josh says:
smoov sells tix. tay doesnt.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:47 am
matt says:
I think J. Smith is a top ten talent. I would rather have him than T-Mac. Melo is a close call.
August 7th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
AB_40 says:
the implosion of detroit will come next summer if they don’t win big… in the playoffs this season. yeah I’m talking bout playoffs cuz y’all know they’re a shoe in for the no1,2 or 3 spot… cleveland can only dream of the central division crown