The Hawks played it RIGHT

This is my weekly 790 The Zone Article as well. To read it there, zip over to www.790thezone.com

Believe it or not, but the laughingstock Atlanta Hawks front office played the Josh Smith saga out correctly. Whether it was intentional or not is another story, but let’s assume that they did this on purpose. Josh Smith, frustrated that no maximum offer was coming from the Atlanta franchise, sought out and received a contract offer in the form of 5 years, 58 Million dollar contract sheet. Because he was a restricted free agent, the Hawks were able to match this offer and he is now a Hawk for the next 5 years.
Considering what some of the other players in Smith’s draft class were receiving this offseason, the Hawks got a great deal. Luol Deng of Chicago recently received a 6/71M deal and Emeka Okafor reupped with the Bobcats for 72M. Smith reportedly was looking for this type of cash too, but I have to ask WHY?
Josh Smith is NOT a franchise player that deserves MAX money. By giving Smith less than max money, they can go after another player or two that will help them get back into the playoffs. I watched the Olympics yesterday and saw the Redeem Team out there running past China, and I thought, “now THESE guys deserve MAX money. These guys are franchise players.” Josh Smith will never be invited to represent the country in the Olympics. He just isn’t good enough. He doesn’t deserve the max money. The franchise money contracts should only go to guys you can build a team around. Smith isn’t one of them.
Interestingly enough the Cavaliers were in this situation a few years back with Anderson Varejao. He was holding out as a restricted free agent, believing the Cavs were lowballing him. He signed an offer sheet with Charlotte at below what he could have gotten with Cleveland, and the Cavs quickly matched. The system allows for the teams to play it this way and not overpay. The players can take the restricted qualifying offer, play the one year, then hit the open market, but so many of them just cannot seem to wait. You can put Smith into this category. They are trying to look out for number one, and that isn’t some one I’d want to build my team around.
If the Hawks HAD given max money to Smith, then they would have been unable to sign or resign anyone of note for the next few years. He would have eaten up the flexibility. And to be honest, Smith isn’t a guy that can carry a team by himself, he just isn’t. If he was, then why did it take him so long and require the importation of a point guard before the team reached the playoffs? Smith got the contract he deserved and the team can still go out and get a few more pieces. Now if they do that is another story.
I never said the Hawks could do two things right in a row.