Josh Smith Not Traded To Timberwolves After All: How About That?

The buzz throughout the day fell short: Josh Smith hasn't yet been traded by the Atlanta Hawks. Though the Atlanta Thrashers will be headed to the very cold upper-central region of North America, Smoove won't join them in nearby Minnesota. The Timberwolves used their No. 2 2011 NBA Draft pick on Derrick Williams of the Arizona Wildcats.

Several other potential trade partners are still out there, though it's entirely conceivable this was all noise drummed up by the Wolves themselves, who were also tied to Monta Ellis and several other possible trades. Smith still isn't guaranteed to remain in Atlanta, but chances have increased that he'll at least make it through draft night without being shipped elsewhere.

Hawks fans may need to wait until darn near midnight for their team to make a move after all.

For more Hawks, join Peachtree Hoops. For more NBA trade rumors, visit SB Nation's NBA hub.

NBA Blockbuster Rumor: Josh Smith To Timberwolves For Enes Kanter

As we near the 2011 NBA Draft, expect Josh Smith trade rumors to just get bigger and bigger. That's been the case so far, as we've now reached Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that the Atlanta Hawks are "dangling Josh Smith to Minnesota for No. 2 pick, eyeing Enes Kanter."

The six-foot-11 Kentucky Wildcats big was ruled ineligible before the 2010-11 season, so he's not exactly the surest thing in this year's draft. He's been projected by almost everybody to be gone by pick No. 3. For more on Kanter, read up on his Draft Express profile and Tom Ziller's look at how he helps define this year's class as "The Year of the Big Man."

Could the Hawks somehow find a way to one-up the Atlanta Falcons draft day trade for Julio Jones? God help us all.

How Would Josh Smith's Weird Contract Affect A Trade?

Josh Smith Shrugs Off Trade Rumors: 'I Will Just Have To Deal With It'

Trade rumors have dogged Josh Smith in recent days, with word that the Atlanta Hawks are shopping him around the league to see what other teams are willing to offer for him. But Smith told Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution he wants to stay with Atlanta, though he didn't say he'd be heartbroken if it were to trade him. From Cunningham's story:

"I’m not saying I want [a trade] to happen but if it does I will just have to deal with it,” he said.

Smith said the Hawks haven’t told him anything about a trade. But he noted that players aren’t usually privy to the team’s internal deliberations until a deal is going down.

The key part of the above excerpt is "I'm not saying I want [a trade] to happen," because the NBA fines players who make trade demands in public; Stephen Jackson and Rudy Fernandez were the most recent players to run afoul of that rule. Thus, even if Smith did desperately want out of Atlanta, he couldn't say so through the media.

By most accounts, Smith is open to moving on from Atlanta, the only team to employ him in his seven-year career. This week, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported Smith had told people close to him he wants out, and would prefer a trade to the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, or New Jersey Nets. Further, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix told a Boston-area radio station Smith's representatives are pushing rumors that Smith wants a trade.

Keep your browser tuned to this StoryStream for more Josh Smith trade rumors and news. For complete coverage of the Hawks, please visit Peachtree Hoops.

Josh Smith Trade Rumors A Consequence Of Overpaying Joe Johnson

Atlanta Hawks Fielding 'Increased' Josh Smith Trade Talks, According To Report

Something new on Josh Smith for late Thursday morning: Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski says the Atlanta Hawks "are getting increased volume on calls" from teams looking into a trade. Though the Orlando Magic appear to be the frontrunner based on other reports, Smith has reportedly listed three other teams he'd be interested in leaving Atlanta for: the Celtics, Rockets and Nets.

Whether Smoove ends up being traded on NBA Draft day or not, there's still a long offseason ahead, and due to the number of reports it's all but undeniable he really is being shopped around the league.

What could they get in return? Peachtree Hoops has considered some scenarios, but looking at the calendar you'd have to think about how a deal might affect the NBA Draft. None of those teams picks before No. 14 in Thursday night's draft, so Hawks fans shouldn't hope for an outstanding draft pick in any potential trade unless a third team gets involved. Houston does have three picks in the first 38, though.

Josh Smith Trade Rumor Involving Magic? 'Totally Legit,' According To Report

If the Atlanta Hawks have to trade Josh Smith to an in-division team due to their own mismanagement of Joe Johnson's contract ... sorry, getting ahead of myself there. Those rumors of Smith being shopped to the Orlando Magic and other teams are "totally legit," says CBS Sports' Ken Berger. Berger plus Adrian Wojnarowski means I'm pretty much convinced.

Berger also says the Hawks are looking to unload salary in the process, so previous concerns that the Magic wouldn't be able to send back enough to make it worth it from a basketball standpoint aren't really valid. Wheeeeeee!

Peachtree Hoops isn't happy about the news, but isn't exactly shocked, either. This is the ownership group, after all, that handed pretty-good Joe Johnson the NBA's highest contract, and now we're right back where we started.

If this trade happens, I can become a Charlotte Bobcats or Memphis Grizzlies fan until the Atlanta Spirit Group sells the team. It really wouldn't kill me.

Josh Smith Trade Rumors Now Include Celtics, Magic, Rockets And Nets

We've been hearing and dismissing for weeks now rumors that the Atlanta Hawks are looking to trade Josh Smith, but the reports are starting to gain serious national attention. Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski reported early Tuesday that Smith wouldn't be all that upset by a Hawks trade, and has listed the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets and New Jersey Nets as his preferred landing spots.

Smith's friend Dwight Howard plays in Orlando for the time being, while a dashing global billionaire runs the Nets. I don't know why he'd want to play for the Rockets or Celtics. For what it's worth, Peachtree Hoops thinks this is all just a bunch of hoo-ha.

Wojnarowski cites league sources who imply the relationship between the Hawks and Smith is only souring and that the team has to break up its roster somehow, but the biggest piece -- Joe Johnson's contract -- isn't going anywhere for a long time.

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Monta Ellis Trade Rumors Include Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic

The trade rumor de jour seems to involve G Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors. Less than three days after the Warriors named ESPN/ABC commentator Mark Jackson the 24th coach of the sometimes dysfunctional franchise, it appears as if the team is shopping around their best player.

CBS Sports' Ken Berger reports that the chances are "50/50" that Ellis could end up with the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that would include Andre Iguodala.

Of course, if Ellis doesn't end up in the "City of Brotherly Love," it's rumored that he could end up alongside Dwight Howard with the Orlando Magic or in the ATL with your Atlanta Hawks.

Cue the irresponsible rumor mill.

Ellis, who is a combo shooting guard and point guard, averaged 24.1 points and 5.6 assists per game for the Warriors last season. Hoopshype.com says that Ellis is under contract for two more seasons at $11 million per season and has player option worth $11 million in the 2013-14 campaign.

Gee, who in Atlanta makes around $11 million per year that the Warriors might covet and that has been rumored on the trading block? You guessed it -- Josh Smith.

Smith has a pair of seasons left on his deal. He may make $12.4 million next season (or a pro-rated version of that once the NBA emerges out of its all-but certain lockout) and is under contract for $13.2 million in the 2012-13 season.

While I'd never pull the trigger on this deal if I were Golden State (trading anyone who can play the point guard for a forward makes zero sense to me), this is the Warriors we're talking about -- an organization that historically has been as well run as well -- the Atlanta Spirit.

Anything is possible with those two ownership groups. The Hawks have just eight or nine while the Warriors have 19 owners when they were put under new management last season.

Wake me when they actually play basketball at Philips Arena again, please.

Rick Sund On Josh Smith Trade Rumors

Josh Smith Trade Rumors: Could Hawks Smith Go To Lakers For Andrew Bynum?

It didn't take very long for the Atlanta Hawks season to end before those rumors started permeating around the Internet about how Josh Smith could be traded in the offseason.

When I say offseason, I mean before June 30 when all the NBA rules change as the players get locked out in "Sports Labor Bliss: Part Deux" that may make the NFL lockout look like an amiable Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Of course, there's shock all around Lakers nation as the best team with Kobe Bryant on it was eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. And Andrew Bynum was a scapegoat for everything that happened to the Los Angeles Lakers.

As a result, Internet fodder and lore has a trade rumor going something like this:

Josh Smith ($12.4M) and Kirk Hinrich ($8.0M) for Andrew Bynum ($15.1M) and Ron Artest ($6.7M).

Under the deal, Atlanta, which has $64.3 million committed to seven players next year would see its payroll increase slightly to $65.7 million for seven players. But the Hawks would have that center they covet, even if they lose one of the more electrifying, yet inconsistent players in the game in Smith.

Either way, they would have to fill the rest of the roster with bargain basement players to avoid the luxury tax under the current system or a hard cap at the luxury tax threshold if the owners get what they want under a new CBA.

We all know that if this Atlanta Spirit group sticks around they'll only want to go into the luxury tax if they think they can make it past the second round. And as of right now, it seems like the Spirit may stick around no matter what happens to their hockey team.