Suns Pursuing Josh Smith?

[SirStefan32]

I ran across this on my daily hoopshype visit:

The Suns are pursuing Josh Smith, according to multiple league sources. Phoenix will try to acquire Smith before the deadline or, if that fails, through a sign-and-trade deal next offseason.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-pm-phoenix-suns-pursuing-josh-smith/

I hope the Hawks save us from ourselves and refuse to trade Smith.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I've always liked Smith, but he must be getting older now.

 

[Covert Rain]

I wouldn't have minded him a few years back. How does this help the Suns in the short term future exactly?

 

[AzStevenCal]

I've always liked Smith, but he must be getting older now.

No, I don't think so.

Steve

 

[JCSunsfan]

He's only 27? That surprises me. I thought he had been with Atlanta for like 10 years. I like Smith. His best position is sf. He plays offense and defense. But he is a player to beware of. Much of his game depends upon athleticism and that is going to start waning.

My guess is that we would trade picks. Ugh.

 

[SunsTzu]

I hope the Hawks save us from ourselves and refuse to trade Smith.

They're going to want to move him, he's expiring and has been suspended by the team this year. He also came out recently and stated that he wants a max contract, a max for him will average about 20mil per over 5 years.

 

[elindholm]

It seems like rumors have been linking the Suns and Smith forever. My guess is that someone just picked up on an old ember and decided to flare it up again. It would be especially silly to acquire Smith just as Beasley may be starting to show something.

 

[Superbone]

No, I don't think so.

Steve

I heard he's doing a Benjamin Button.

 

[JCSunsfan]

It seems like rumors have been linking the Suns and Smith forever. My guess is that someone just picked up on an old ember and decided to flare it up again. It would be especially silly to acquire Smith just as Beasley may be starting to show something.

Do you see them as the same player? Beasley seems to do better at pf and Smith at sf.

that's still a pretty small front line. Sounds like they want Gortat.

I guess the question would be who would you want at max or near max money long term, Josh Smith or Gortat. Gortat is going to be a FA in 2014 and is going to get a lot. Smith, of course, is a fa this summer. They are about the same age.

 

[SirStefan32]

I guess the question would be who would you want at max or near max money long term, Josh Smith or Gortat. Gortat is going to be a FA in 2014 and is going to get a lot. Smith, of course, is a fa this summer. They are about the same age.

Neither.

 

[elindholm]

Do you see them as the same player? Beasley seems to do better at pf and Smith at sf.

I hadn't gotten that impression about Smith. Both are tweener slashers who are giving up something defensively at either position. Nothing about Beasley last night looked particularly PF-like to me, although I confess I wasn't paying that much attention to who he was guarding.

 

[tobiazz]

Watching a Smith, Beasley, Brown, Dragic lineup would be pretty hilarious, so why not.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Watching a Smith, Beasley, Brown, Dragic lineup would be pretty hilarious, so why not.

Suns should wait until summer to go after Smith. If you are going to have to overpay why give up prospects too. The only way they should go after him now would be if they could move Channing Frye and/or Brown to get him.

I am just not sure he is a max player and certainly not supermax.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Suns should wait until summer to go after Smith. If you are going to have to overpay why give up prospects too. The only way they should go after him now would be if they could move Channing Frye and/or Brown to get him.

I am just not sure he is a max player and certainly not supermax.

Exactly, blowing max money on a player like Smith is madness. He's decent, but has never made an all star team and it's quite clear by watching him.

He's a salary cap killer, and even surrounded by pretty good talent in Atlanta, never won anything. Would be perfect for the FO to give up assets to overpay for Josh freaking Smith.

 

[JS22]

Watching a Smith, Beasley, Brown, Dragic lineup would be pretty hilarious, so why not.

Putting Smith, Beasley, and Brown on the same team should be grounds to get a GM fired.

I've always kind of liked Smith and thought he could have thrived in the SSOL system with Nash when the Suns were shopping Amare. But those days are gone. Now is not the time to overpay for Smith AND give up assets.

If anything, go get Millsap. I've always wanted Millsap on this team. He's expiring as well and the Jazz have a logjam at the PF / C spot, I think.

 

[HooverDam]

I've always kind of liked Smith and thought he could have thrived in the SSOL system with Nash when the Suns were shopping Amare. But those days are gone. Now is not the time to overpay for Smith AND give up assets.

Exactly. Smith would've been a great return on Amare (instead of getting 0), but now it makes no sense. He's clearly not a franchise guy, and he's the type of guy that dumb teams (IE the current Suns front office) overpay so they have a "star" which then hamstrings them.

 

[KloD]

I don't get shocked often with the NBA, but I'd be surprised if any team gave Smith a max contract.

 

[Phrazbit]

I don't get shocked often with the NBA, but I'd be surprised if any team gave Smith a max contract.

I would be shocked if he didn't get one. If guys like Brook Lopez and Eric Gordon get max deals then you should fully expect Smith to get multiple max offers.

 

[SunsTzu]

I would be shocked if he didn't get one. If guys like Brook Lopez and Eric Gordon get max deals then you should fully expect Smith to get multiple max offers.

A max for Josh Smith averages about 5 million more per year than what those guys got.

 

[KloD]

I would be shocked if he didn't get one. If guys like Brook Lopez and Eric Gordon get max deals then you should fully expect Smith to get multiple max offers.

Could be, but an average of $19m a year for 5 years is a huge commitment to a guy who isn't a superstar. Lopez isn't worth his paycheck, but he is a decent center and they are far and few compared to tweeners like Smith. Gordon had to get an offer from another team and did not get the 5 year max he wanted.

If the Suns do aquire Smith, he's good friends with Howard as they grew up together. Perhaps by trading Gortat and Brown for Smith they can free up enough cap to also go hard at Howard? I know... I know...

 

[Phrazbit]

Could be, but an average of $19m a year for 5 years is a huge commitment to a guy who isn't a superstar. Lopez isn't worth his paycheck, but he is a decent center and they are far and few compared to tweeners like Smith. Gordon had to get an offer from another team and did not get the 5 year max he wanted.

If the Suns do aquire Smith, he's good friends with Howard as they grew up together. Perhaps by trading Gortat and Brown for Smith they can free up enough cap to also go hard at Howard? I know... I know...

Well, only the team who has his bird rights can offer 5 years, but I think he will likely end up with the 4 year max.

As for the Howard fantasy... I think the Suns would have to clear quite a bit more cap space than just losing Gortat to offer 2 max-ish deals.

 

[SunsTzu]

Well, only the team who has his bird rights can offer 5 years, but I think he will likely end up with the 4 year max.

As for the Howard fantasy... I think the Suns would have to clear quite a bit more cap space than just losing Gortat to offer 2 max-ish deals.

Yes they would need to clear a ton of cap and it's really not realistic even if they get a medical exclusion for Frye.

For example, if they traded Gortat + Beasley for Smith, received a medical exclusion for Frye, waived Brown with the stretch provision, traded Scola for pure cap space I think they'd still fall just short.

 

[SirStefan32]

Well, only the team who has his bird rights can offer 5 years, but I think he will likely end up with the 4 year max.

As for the Howard fantasy... I think the Suns would have to clear quite a bit more cap space than just losing Gortat to offer 2 max-ish deals.

Not really. Without looking it up, I'd say they will have $17-18M to work with next summer even without buying Brown out. If they buy him out, they will have a bit over $20M to work with. That's one max deal Trading Gortat and someone else for the 2nd max contract is feasible.

Dwight and Smith wouldn't be enough to win anything anyway, and there really aren't any other great FAs available next summer, but having available cap space to work with isn't an issue.

 

[SunsTzu]

Not really. Without looking it up, I'd say they will have $17-18M to work with next summer even without buying Brown out. If they buy him out, they will have a bit over $20M to work with. That's one max deal Trading Gortat and someone else for the 2nd max contract is feasible.

Dwight and Smith wouldn't be enough to win anything anyway, and there really aren't any other great FAs available next summer, but having available cap space to work with isn't an issue.

You're numbers are off and don't include rookie or roster minimum cap holds. If the Suns only get 2 1st round picks and keep them this year they would be around 14-15mil in cap space after waiving Brown, that's with Gortat and his 7.7mil contract instead of Smith making an addition 10mil.

 

[SirStefan32]

You're numbers are off and don't include rookie or roster minimum cap holds. If the Suns only get 2 1st round picks and keep them this year they would be around 14-15mil in cap space after waiving Brown, that's with Gortat and his 7.7mil contract instead of Smith making an addition 10mil.

I am not numbers. You're right, and your numbers are accurate though, except for assuming Smith gets $17M+ per year. Anyone who offers him more than $12M per year should be sent to a mental institution.