The Clips are already set for a big improvement. They basically didn’t have Brand last year. Cap aside, it’s as if they already traded Maggette for Baron/Gordon/Camby.

Sean Livingston looks like the league’s biggest mystery.

The thing is though, Smoove is a RESTRICTED free agent… the Clips can no longer offer a deal that the Hawks wont match. The Grizzlies now stand as the only team that could offer Smoove a deal that could make the Hawks blink, and they’re not spending this summer.

Contrary to what Mr. Bucher “reports,” Smoove won’t force a sign and trade either (like Joe Johnson did). The guy loves playing in ATL, reps his city HARD (he has “home team” tattooed on his body), and really likes playing with guys like Al Horford and Joe Johnson.

And trust me, Smoove wont force a sign and trade. The other day I was listening to a sports talk show in the ATL area, and Smoove’s DAD of all people called in to call the SI story pure rubbish. Smoove and Woody have a fine working relationship. The “dust ups” have been the result of him being 21 or under the past few years.

But I am a big Hawks fan, so I hope Smoove stay here (and I’d love to buy Woodson a one-way ticket out of town anytime–hopefully, he will be hearing some real boo birds as he leads the Hawks nowhere the next 2 years).

Thanks for pointing that out. But even if Sekou Smith set the record straight on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution blog, this story has already spread all over the Internet and will probably pop up on ESPN’s afternoon programming. Unfortunately if Smith and Woodson’s relationship is as chummy as Sekou makes it seem, the fact that this story is all over the place will create a stir.

One last thing about the five-year $55-60 million deal you’re proposing… The Clippers can ink him to the exact same thing. With Baron and Camby, the Clippers’ team subtotal is about $47 million. With the cap at $58, they have $11 million in space for the ’08-09 season. If the money is the same – or favors the Hawks by a bit – it’s a valid question… Does Smith stay in Atlanta, where there is some sort of issue (bigger or smaller than the public perception) or does he go to a bigger media market to play for an exciting young team with a chance to have an impact in the West?

Yall got that from a Ric Bucher article. As he does often, Mr. Bucher flat out made some stuff up.

The following was written by Sekou Smith (the Atlanta Hawks BEAT reporter that follows the team full time… dude is a very good bball journalist). This came from a post underneath his latest blog:

By Sekou K. Smith

July 16, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this

I saw the story on SI’s website and I’ll say it again for the umpteenth time, neither Smith nor anyone else affiliated with him has ever said (on or off the record) that he doesn’t want to be here or doesn’t want to play for Woodson.

Despite their very public dust ups in the past, Smith and Woodson had a smooth (no pun intended) working relationship this past season. Are they going to be spotted at each other’s houses partying anytime soon? Probably not. But neither are any of his teammates.

But you’d be surprised, his relationship with Woodson is better than Woodson’s relationship with some other guys on the team (lots of guys chafed under Woodson’s gruff style the past four years but didn’t shoot back at him the way Smith did).

What I can tell you for a fact is that when the new general manager sat down with all the players and asked them for their honest opinions on all things, including Woodson (and this was before Woodson received his contract extension), Smith is one of the players that didn’t have a single bad thing to say about Woodson (I know of at least two other guys that didn’t hold back and let Woodson have it). So even if he felt it deep down, Smith never voiced it to Rick Sund or anyone else.

Listen, the kid’s 22 and had some dust ups with his coach. Big deal. I think far too much has been made of all the drama. I’ll aslo point out that those rifts were far from a one-sided deal. Woodson owns just as much of the blame for those dust ups as Smith does.

But they’ve never allowed that stuff to keep them from being able to work together. And Woodson knows better than anyone how important Smith is to the Hawks’ cause now and in the future, so don’t believe all the hype about their frayed relationship.

Those two will work together just fine if (and really when) Smith’s new deal is done.

Any comments on that Dime?

Haha.. yall honestly think Smoove is gonna take LESS money to go play with the Clips?? Yall are REACHING on this one. Smoove is gonna sign a 5-year 55-60 million deal. Just watch.

Stuckey
Rip
Prince
Smith
Sheed

Bench…Afflalo, McDyess, Maxiell, Amir, Sharpe, Samb,

thats a pretty nice frontline. And a good backcourt too.

I’m with you fam, no way in HELL Woodson/Brown (it’s the same dude) wins a chip. They run the same play, ISO your best player or mismatch