exactly. why wouldn't the hawks match? $58M is a bargain when deng signed for $70M, and iguodala is looking for something even higher than that.
Weak ass offer by the Grizz. Grizz should've either made a real offer or no offer at all This is like playing poker and you don't got $hit and you know your opponent probably has nothing either yet you bet a lil bit anyways hoping he folds. Atlanta will match no doubt.
Memphis is a sorry franchise. They need new ownership and maybe another city to play in. Bunch of tight wads running the team who won't pay for talent.
Are you stupid? Why should the Grizzlies pay any more than market value? If they send a crazy offer to Smith then next summer Gay wants a crazy extension and on and on... They gave him a market level contract. If Atlanta matches...so be it. Atlanta is not a playoff team with or without Smith.
I agree. After all Smith decided that that's what he is worth by signing the sheet. Atl is pretty cheap, I think they will match too, but 10% chance that maybe they will go after Iggy or something instead.
Thankyou! I find myself shaking my head as I read each response about how much potential adding Josh Smith would give that team followed by the obligatory depth chart of crappy young players as proof. Noone just puts together a team of young players and starts winning - I don't know why this always has the same Pavlovian response. I love Josh Smith, but whether Atlanta matches or not, this move is of absolutely no relevance to the Western Conference. The Grizzlies will suck and continue to suck.
Every person in Iran between 10 and 35 years old wants to leave Iran and come to mostly the USA. And I do mean every person you ask.
Besides 1 dollar is ~600 times greater than a unit of currency in Iran. But I agree with you on Iranian chicks.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/hawks/stories/2008/08/08/hawks_josh_smith.html Hawks match offer, keep Josh Smith By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 08/08/08 The Hawks didn't waste anytime figuring out what to do with the offer made to restricted free agent Josh Smith. They matched the Memphis Grizzlies' five-year, $58 million offer hours after the offer sheet was hand-delivered to Hawks general manager Rick Sund on Friday, according to Smith's agents. "I don't think the process should have gone the way that it did," said Brian Dyke, one of Smith's agents, "but they matched, and we have to move forward." This brings an end to a six-week saga that began July 1 with Smith, a 22-year-old forward, being courted by the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Clippers, among other teams. The final deal is $13 million more than the only offer made by the Hawks, a five-year, $45 million deal that Smith turned down in October. But not nearly as lucrative as the deals handed out to other restricted free agents, such as Luol Deng ($71 million with incentives) and Emeka Okafor ($72 million). "It's all about getting it done now," Smith said by phone Friday evening from Houston, where he has been working out all summer. "Obviously, what happened with [Josh] Childress ... I'm positive that could have been avoided, too. It wasn't like we were trying to hit the Hawks over the head for more than what we thought we were worth. "All we wanted to do was be appreciated for the hard work we've put in the last four years and the strides that were made. But this summer, it never seemed like that happened." Until now. The Hawks had seven days to match the offer made by the Grizzlies or lose Smith without compensation. But they bucked a summer-long trend that marked their negotiations with both Smith and Childress, who bolted two weeks ago for a three-year, $20 million offer from Greek power Olympiakos, and acted immediately.
Thankyou!!! I was going to look up their deals and see the length of contract. Still - Atlanta had to match - be interesting to see how he develops and if they can make the playoffs again without Childress
off topic but DrNuegebauer, jason smith jus tore an acl in his right knee so i wouldnt do that trade anymore
That's one of the quickest offer matches I can remember. And probably because it was a fair market level deal. As for the Grizz, I can't help but wonder if that offer was just a PR stunt to make people think they are trying to do something.
I have the same suspicion. Memphis didn't really give themselves a chance. The offer wasn't even front-loaded.
Hi Deuce,long time no see. My feeling is that the Grizzlies owner is cheap. This was probably as high as he was willing to go. I don't see it as a PR shunt.
I'm not even sure if it was a real offer by the Grizzlies. I wouldn't be surprised if they were just doing it to give the appearance of trying to be a legitimate franchise. Edit: whoops, Deuce said the exact same thing I was thinking already...
How do you define "far market level deal"? It was not. Memphis knew good and well the Hawks would match. The offer allows them to save face and say to everyone, "We tried", when they really did not. It was insincere from the get go. The 2nd sorriest franchise in the NBA did the sorriest one a big favor. Or maybe you could switch the rankings because at least the Hawks care a little bit about winning and they actually regret losing Josh Childress.
