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Josh Smith who is one of the league’s most interesting talents is in a final year of his contract and has been rumored to be in trades for the last two seasons. If the Atlanta Hawks were smart they would move him before he walks away in the summer and get nothing in return for him.
The Hawks have already moved on from Joe Johnson, who was holding them back financially, and doing so with Smith would give them a lot of flexibility going forward. The one team that can offer up a lot of assets and even a draft pick or two is the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets went all-in this past off-season and made James Harden the face of the franchise. Harden is a very good player, but someone like Josh smith would complement his game more and make the Rockets a very dangerous team in the western conference.
The Hawks, on the other hand, would gain more flexibility in taking back some of the smaller contracts that the Rockets have to offer, and will be able to be more active in trades. One thing we have learned from in the past is don’t trust NBA players or their agents because they are going to do what is best for them and not the team. If the Hawks can capitalize on this situation they could be in good shape going forward.
A core of Harden, Smith and Omar Asik isn’t that bad and it’s still young enough to get better. The Rockets would also become better defensively and on offense they become even more explosive.
As we have seen in the past, the Rockets and their general manager Daryl Morey are not afraid to pull the trigger on any deal. If the Rockets were able to obtain Smith, they would have a bright future and may only be a piece away from becoming contenders.
