NBA Roundup: Flurry Of Moves, And There's More To Come

By: Tyler Ward

It has been a busy today so far in the NBA, and it looks like it's not going to be losing any steam anytime soon. There were a couple of surprises and a couple of no-brainers as teams are trying to build a championship squad, in hopes of dethroning the Dallas Mavericks.

* Los Angeles Clippers sign SF Caron Butler to three-year, $24 million contract

Caron Butler, who played in just 29 games last season before undergoing surgery and collected a ring in the process, announced today that he has signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, teaming up with young stars Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon.

Butler was also considering signing with Chicago, New Jersey and San Antonio, but decided to sign with the Clippers because of their bright future (I never thought I'd say that the Clippers have a nice future in front of them).

According to a source, the Spurs offered Butler a four-year deal worth $21 million, the full value of their mid-level exception. The Nets also offered the former Maverick a four-year deal worth $30 million, by far less than what the Clippers offered.

But Butler ultimately decided to go to Los Angeles, as the Clips are hoping to crash the postseason party this year.

* Miami Heat sign SF Shane Battier to a contract (terms undisclosed)

Battier hasn't officially signed with the reigning Eastern Conference champions, but has said that he has every intention on signing with LeBron James and Co.


A former Duke Blue Devil, Battier will be a solid upgrade to a bench that was just downright awful last season. He went to Twitter earlier today to say that he will sign with the team on Friday, the first day NBA teams can officially sign free agents.


Battier had been courted by quite a few teams, including the Spurs, Magic and his former team, the Grizzlies, but decided to sign with the Heat, as they are one of the main favorites to win the championship this season.


The former Grizzlies and Rockets defensive stalwart said on Twitter, "The lockout gave me lots of time to consider what was important to me at this stage of my life and career. Over the last week, I've played out every scenario in my head over and over. It always came back to one thing for me: a winning role."

Last season, Battier averaged 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Rockets and Grizzlies.


According to reports, Battier is likely to sign a multi-year deal at a main proportion of the $5 million mid-level exception. However, the signing of Battier could mean the end of Mike Miller, who has rarely played since signing with the Heat prior to last season. Miller is currently recovering from hernia surgery.


* Detroit Pistons re-sign SF Tayshaun Prince to a four-year, $27 million deal and re-sign F Jonas Jerebko to four-year, $16 million contract

An unrestricted free agent, Prince could have signed elsewhere after playing for the Pistons his entire career. But he decided to stay with the only team he's known for $27 million scattered over four years.

Prince had garnered interest from multiple teams across the league, but decided to stay in Detroit, a place that he has considered home his entire career and has won a championship with.

Prince averaged 14.1 points per game last season for the Pistons, playing in 78 games.

The team also announced that they have re-signed forward Jonas Jerebko to a four-year, $16 million contract.

Jerebko, a restricted free agent, averaged 9.3 points and 6 rebounds per game for the Pistons last season.

* Phoenix Suns sign SG Shannon Brown to a one-year, $3.5 million contract

According to reports, the Suns will sign Shannon Brown to a contract, after Brown opted out of his contract for the 2011-12 season.

If he had stayed with the Lakers, Brown would have earned $2.4 million and by signing with the Suns, there will be an increase in his pay.

In his first four seasons in the NBA, Brown played for four teams before finding his way to Los Angeles to serve as Kobe Bryant's back-up. Brown quickly flourished in his new role with the Lakers and was one of the most sought out free agents in the offseason.

But he quickly found a new home in Phoenix, where he will pair up with two-time MVP Steve Nash.

Last season, Brown averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game with the Lakers.

* Portland Trail Blazers re-sign C Greg Oden to a one-year, $8.9 million deal

As expected, the Blazers have re-signed the injury-prone Greg Oden, Portland's No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Oden will sign the Blazers' $8.9 million qualifying offer on Friday, the first day that free agents can sign with other teams.

He is currently coming off left-knee surgery, but it is unsure when Oden will be able to return for the Blazers. It's doubtful that he will be ready on opening night, but he should not miss the entire season like he has in the past.

Oden missed all of last season because of microfracture surgery on his left knee. During his rookie season, he had microfracture surgery on his right knee, which caused him to miss the entire season. Oden also broke his kneecap during the 2009-10 season and was forced to sit out a majority of that season, as well.

Since his rookie season in 2007, Oden has played in just a total of 82 games, an average of 21 games per season. For his career, Oden is averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

* Atlanta Hawks sign SG Tracy McGrady to a one-year deal

As reported yesterday, the Hawks have signed Tracy McGrady to a one-year deal at the veteran's minimum.

The seven-time All-Star was once a dominant player, but his stats have declined drastically over the last few seasons.

He signed with the Pistons prior to last season and averaged 8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in 72 games. The Pistons were McGrady's third team in two years.

The signing of McGrady means that it practically spells the end of Jamal Crawford, who is currently a free agent. Crawford has drawn interest from many teams across the league and it appears more and more each day that he will not reside in Atlanta for the upcoming season.

McGrady has battled injuries off and on for the last few seasons, which has caused a decline in his play.

He played 72 games for the Pistons last season, and the Hawks can only hope that the injuries are behind McGrady, who is likely to become one of the team's first players off the bench.

* Los Angeles Lakers sign G/F Jason Kapono to one-year, $1.2 million contract

The Lakers announced yesterday that they have signed sharpshooter Jason Kapono to a one-year deal worth $1.2 million, the veteran's minimum.

It is suspected that the Lakers brought him in mainly because of shooting, as he has been one of the league's best three-point shooters since arriving in the NBA in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Although his playing time has decreased drastically, Kapono averaged just 4.7 minutes per game last season with the Sixers in 24 games. In the 2009-10 season, he appeared in just 57 games.

His shooting has declined since making 51.4 percent of his shots in the 2006-07 season with the Miami Heat.

Although it is a very small investment for the Lakers, Kapono could contribute if he is making the best of opportunity, making three-pointers actively for the Lakers this season. 

Orlando Magic Vs. Atlanta Hawks (Game 2) 4/19/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Atlanta Hawks Vs. Orlando Magic (Game 1) 4/16/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Atlanta Hawks Vs. Charlotte Bobcats 4/13/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Miami Heat Vs. Atlanta Hawks 4/11/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Atlanta Hawks Vs. Washington Wizards 4/9/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Atlanta Hawks Vs. Indiana Pacers 4/8/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

San Antonio Spurs Vs. Atlanta Hawks 4/5/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Atlanta Hawks Vs. Houston Rockets 4/3/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Boston Celtics Vs. Atlanta Hawks 4/1/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

Video Of Dominique Wilkins Being Attacked By Former NBA Referee Rashan S. Michel In Stands

By: Stephen Patterson

Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks 3/30/11 (Highlights)

By: Stephen Patterson

NBA Oddsmakers: Chances Atlanta Hawks Make a Deal Before Deadline

By: Stephen Patterson

The Atlanta Hawks are rumored to be in the market for an upgrade at the point guard position in an effort to catch up with some of their rivals in an ever-improving Eastern Conference.

With the New York Knicks finally completing their blockbuster acquisition of Carmelo Anthony, the Hawks now find themselves struggling to make a move to stay relevant in the East.

One of the main positions the Hawks are looking to upgrade via trade is the point guard position as Mike Bibby's production continues to decline with his increasing age.

If Atlanta wants to stay competitive in the East with teams like the Chicago Bulls and Knicks seemingly passing them in their quest to catch the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics at the top of the conference, they have to get a deal done before Thursday's trade deadline.

Here is a look at five potential targets at the point guard position and the odds that they will end up with the Hawks before the deadline passes:

Devin Harris

The Nets have been trying to move Harris and now that they are officially out of the running to try to acquire Carmelo Anthony, it's likely New Jersey will move Harris before the deadline.

Harris is averaging 15 points and a career-high 7.6 assists per game this season and would obviously be a huge offensive upgrade over Bibby.

However, with the Nets reportedly also receiving interest from the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks for Harris, I don't think Atlanta will enough pieces to pry him away from New Jersey.

Odds: 25-1

Andre Miller
Portland has been mentioned in rumors for weeks linking them to potential trades involving Miller, making it seem highly likely that the Blazers will get something done before the deadline. 

One of the main contributing factors behind Portland's decision to potentially move Miller is their desire to go younger and collect draft picks with the question marks surrounding Greg Oden and Brandon Roy's respective injury issues.

Considering the Hawks don't have an abundance of young talent or high draft picks, I don't they have a very good chance of landing Miller unless they involve a third team.

Odds: 12-1

Raymond Felton

Felton went from being considered an All-Star snub by some just a few weeks ago to being viewed as a backup for the Nuggets if he stays in Denver since arriving in the Melo trade.

Felton is talented enough to be a starter on most teams and that list definitely includes the Hawks. If Atlanta could somehow land Felton, it might be enough to keep them on the borderline of being on the top tier in the Eastern Conference.

An offer of Marvin Williams or Jamal Crawford and his expiring $10.1 million contract might be enough to pry Felton away from Denver, but only if another team doesn't present a more attractive offer.

Odds: 10-1

Kirk Hinrich

While the addition of Hinrich probably wouldn't be quite the difference maker for the Hawks that one of the previously mentioned players might provide, he is still a talented guard who would have to be considered an upgrade over Mike Bibby.

Hinrich is averaging 11.1 points and 4.4 assists per game this season for the Washington Wizards as he has split time between starting and coming off the bench.

Even though the addition of Hinrich might not thrust the Hawks up multiple spots in the standings, he would give them an upgrade at point guard and would be much easier to obtain than the previously mentioned players.

Odds: 5-2

Ramon Sessions
The Hawks have reportedly already made an offer to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Sessions, offering Maurice Evans and Jeff Teague in exchange.

Sessions would probably welcome the change in scenery as he has spent the first half of the season playing in the aftermath of Cleveland's first post-LeBron season, which for the record hasn't been very pleasant.

His 12.3 points and 5.3 assists per game would be a modest upgrade over Bibby's 9.4 points and 3.6 assists and would give the Hawks a deeper backcourt.

It would also give first-year head coach Larry Drew the option of moving Crawford and Sessions ahead of Bibby on the depth chart.

Odds: 2-1

NBA's Weekend Roundup - July 12, 2010

By: Tyler Ward

The tail end of the weekend was a rather boring one, as it was very uneventful in the NBA. It was expected to be an exciting, busy weekend, as the "Miami Thrice" was officially born on Thursday, along with many other trades and signings. However, it was not the case and we lived a rather dull weekend.

Good thing the weekend's over. It seemed to be a very interesting day since it struck midnight, and for that we are very thankful as the subject matter was decreasing heavily. Well, enough of the chit-chat, let's recap what has happened in the NBA the last few days.

- Toronto trades Hedo Turkoglu to Phoenix for G Leandro Barbosa; Charlotte trades C Tyson Chandler & F Boris Diaw to Toronto for PG Jose Calderon & PF Reggie Evans

As reported late Sunday night, there was a mega deal that no one really expected - it just came out of the blue. The trade included six players, with Charlotte seemingly coming out the worst. Toronto's GM, Bryan Colangelo, acquired two players that he had on the Suns when he was their GM a few years back.

Toronto received swingman Leandro Barbosa, center Tyson Chandler, and role player Boris Diaw in the trade. Chandler immediately brings back a height advantage that Toronto originally lost in the Chris Bosh sign-and-trade. He has had a history of injuries lately and he will have to steer clear of health issues if Toronto wants to get the better end of the deal. Chandler has also never played a full 82 game season in his nine-year career. His best year came in the 2007-08 season where he averaged 11.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game (the only season he has averaged more than 10 points per game in a season).

He will more than likely immediately become the other half of the frontcourt, along with 2006 #1 pick, Andrea Bargnani. The Raptors would then have both starting frontcourt players standing at 7'0" tall or higher.

Chandler was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 2nd overall pick in the 2001 draft (his draft rights were traded to the Chicago Bulls). He spent five seasons with Chicago before being acquired by the New Orleans Hornets. Before the 2009-10 season, he was dealt to Charlotte for another former 2nd overall pick, Emeka Okafor. His Charlotte stint was short lived and injury plagued, as Chandler only played in 51 games, starting 27 of them. Now, he will be on his fourth team and maybe, he can live up to the hype that surrounded him prior to the 2001 draft. He has career averages of 8.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

The Raptors also acquired Barbosa from the Suns, which is my favorite part of the deal. Barbosa automatically brings great athleticism and a fearless spark off the bench. Primarily being a shooting guard, he will compete with ex-USC star Demar Derozan for playing time. He has not had signficant starting time in his career and has only had 109 starts out of a possible 466 games. Barbosa will probably be utilized off the bench and Derozan will be handed the starting job. This will be Barbosa's first season with a different team, as he had spent his entire career with Phoenix before the trade (actually drafted by the Spurs, but his draft rights were traded to Phoenix).

However, he will have to make sure he is healthy for this season - since he was drafted, he had been rather healthy, but only played in 44 games last season, the fewest of his career. If Barbosa stays healthy for the majority part of the season, Toronto wins in the trade, no doubt in my mind.

In the 2006-07 season, Barbosa had a memorable season as he won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Since the award started being handed out in the 1982-83 season, he became the fourth Sun to claim the title after Eddie Johnson, Rodney Rogers, and Danny Manning. Throughout his career, he has averaged 12.6 points per game.

The Raptors weren't even done there. They also acquired frenchman Boris Diaw in the deal, too. Since they traded Hedo Turkoglu, Diaw will probably be penciled in as the starting small forward. He is considered by some to be a tall forward, standing at 6'8" and will have a height advantage over other small forwards in the Eastern Conference.

Diaw had spent the last one and a half seasons with Charlotte, after being acquired from the Suns in 2008. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2003 draft with the 21 overall pick. Toronto will be his fourth team after making stops in Atlanta, Phoenix, and Charlotte. He has career averages of 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.

Phoenix acquired unhappy forward Hedo Turkoglu in the deal. After spurning the Blazers last summer, he signed with Toronto for a 5-year/$53 million contract. He expressed his displeasure with Toronto and immediately regretted his decision during the regular season.

He got such a high-dollar deal because he did so well in the playoffs with Orlando, helping them get to the NBA Finals for the first time since the mind 1990's. Before Orlando, his performances were lackluster and he didn't really provide help for championship contenders like San Antonio and Sacramento (the Webber/Stojakovic days). 

However, this helps Phoenix because he will be chosen as their starting power forward after Amare Stoudemire left for New York earlier this month. Throughout his time in the NBA, he had been primarily used as a small forward, but standing at 6'10", he can also play power forward. With the re-signing of Channing Frye and the signings of Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress, they have had a pretty decent offseason - perhaps the best a team could have after losing such a player like Stoudemire. The Suns are also likely to lose popular forward Louis Amundson to free agency so getting Turkoglu is a good decision.

Turkoglu had a horrible season and he certainly didn't live up to the $9+ million he was scheduled to make last season. He averaged an uninspired 11.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.1 rebounds, which was his worst season since 2003-04, statistically (maybe you should lay off the cigarettes, Hedo). The ex-Raptor is poised to do better this season and the Suns can only hope he does.

Michael Jordan and the Bobcats also received a little something out of this deal, too. The Raptors traded late-season choker Jose Calderon to Charlotte, along with high-paid forward Reggie Evans. On paper, it looks like the Bobcats got the worst part of the deal, taking on two very high paid players. 

Calderon is a decent player, but he contributed to the Raptors' late season collapse and they missed out on the playoffs yet again. However, they needed to acquire a point guard because they let Raymond Felton walk to the New York Knicks last week. They had only one point guard on under contract, which was D.J. Augustin. Augustin hasn't really started in his career, so Calderon will likely be the starting point guard for the Bobcats next season. Calderon has averaged 9.8 points and 6.6 assists per game in five seasons with the Raptors.

The Reggie Evans part of the deal is meaningless. Evans, overpaid, will probably not get valuable playing time when he will be competing against DeSagana Diop, Nazr Mohammad, Derrick Brown, and Alexis Ajinca in a crowded frontcourt. He is scheduled to make roughly $5 million this season.

- Atlanta trades SF Josh Childress to Phoenix for a 2012 2nd round pick (Childress will sign a five year contract worth approximately $34 million)

The Hawks have agreed in principle to trade Josh Childress for a conditional 2nd round pick. Childress is expected to sign a five-year deal with Phoenix after the trade becomes official.

This is a great deal for Phoenix because this gives them a serviceable small forward that can be a starter or a bench player. He was one of the best free agents left on the board, but was grabbed up in a trade that was virually one-sided. 

Childress had spent the last two seasons overseas with the Greece Team, Olympiakos Piraerus. He was offered a 5-year/$33 million contract by Atlanta in 2008, but instead, he went overseas on a three year deal woth $20 million. Even though Atlanta's offer consisted of more money, he had the ability to make even more money in Europe by signing a Nike contract. He was very incontent and decided to play overseas because he the Hawks teams he played on were anything, but spectacular. In his first year of Euroleague play, he averaged 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

This trades adds to a deep Suns bench that includes Childress, playoff hero Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley, Hakim Warrick, and Channing Frye, they are poised to have a deep 10-man rotation. The Suns are hoping that they can do even better than last year when they lost in six games to the eventual champion, Los Angeles Lakers. 

The Hawks chose Childress with the 6th overall pick in the 2004 draft. He has averaged 11.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per game.

- Orlando signs SF Quentin Richardson to a multi-year contract

The Magic reportedly brought in sharpshooter Quentin Richardson, which inevitably means they will not re-sign defensive specialist Matt Barnes. This was a good deal for the Magic because they needed another good shooter in case they lose out on re-signing J.J. Redick.

Orlando will use their one remaining mid-level exception to sign Richardson - however, all but $2.1 million is supposed to go to recent addition, Chris Duhon. Terms have not been fully disclosed, but it is more than likely a two year deal similar to the one Jermaine O'Neal received from the Celtics last week.

This could also be one of Richardson's final stops. He was traded four times last offseason, with the last trade sending him to the Miami Heat. Miami decided not to re-sign Richardson and he would be on a different team again.

Richardson stayed relatively healthy for the Heat last season, starting 75 out of a possible 82 game schedule. He shot a career-best 39.7% beyond the arc and also leading the team in that category. He averaged 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

- New Jersey signs PG Jordan Farmar to a 3-year/$12 million contract

The Nets continued to wheel-and-deal with their third signing since late last week - Johan Petro and Anthony Morrow were the other two.

Farmar is brought in to immediately back-up young guard Devin Harris. Farmar, who had spent his entire career with the Lakers, leaves behind a franchise where he won two championships. The Nets are hoping he can bring that championship pedigree to the Nets and bring them back to the playoffs. 

After losing out on LeBron James in free agency, they have made somewhat of a splash in the market since Thursday. Their team has gotten significantly better with the acquisitions of Farmar and Morrow, along with draft picks Derrick Favors and Damion James.

Farmar will bring in quality minutes and great shooting off the bench, which the Nets needed with their 12-70 record last season. He was chosen 26th overall by the Lakers in the 2006 draft. Farmar has only started 2 out of the 301 games he's played, so he doesn't have much starting experience. He has averaged 6.9 points per game throughout his career.

- Miami re-signs PF Udonis Haslem to a 5-year/$20 million contract

ESPN reported today that Udonis Haslem would take less money to come back and play for the Heat. He had received two 5 year/$34 million offers, coming from the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. Haslem took significantly less money to stay with an immediate championship contender (Can you blame him?) 

He had drawn interests from multiple teams around the league, but he did the smart thing and stayed in Miami. Before the signing, the Heat were thin in the frontcourt with only two players under contract next season (rookies Dexter Pittman & Jarvis Varnardo). This also provides Chris Bosh with a great energy guy as a back-up when he isn't on the court for the 10-15 minutes he usually misses.

Dwyane Wade is still united with Haslem, as they both came into the league in 2003. This brings a little bit more chemistry to the Heat's rotation because Wade and Haslem have played together so much. Although he is considered "short" to play at power forward, he still brings in a big body that can battle with the other offensive forces in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat still aren't done. They have already made several great moves in free agency this year and this is still in the top tier because they needed a power forward so badly. Miami also announced today that they officially signed swingman Mike Miller to a contract, so it looks like the Heat are definite championship contenders this year.

- Los Angeles Lakers re-sign PG Derek Fisher to a contract

ESPN also reported today that playoff hero Derek Fisher will come back to the Los Angeles Lakers. After getting a great offer by the Heat, Fisher decided that he will go back to Los Angeles in hopes of winning his third straight championship. Terms of the deal have not been fully disclosed.

Fisher announced on his website that he would re-sign with L.A. and named Kobe Bryant in particular as the reason he would come back.

He wrote on his site, "At the end of the day, there’s one person I could not turn away from. Kobe Bryant asked me to stay but supported whatever decision I made. He and I have played together for 11 seasons, came into the league together as kids, and has been loyal to me even when others had doubts. We have won five championships together. I have decided to continue with Kobe, continue with our teammates and the fans of Los Angeles. While this may not be the most lucrative contract I’ve been offered this off season, it is the most valuable. I am confident I will continue to lead this team on and off the court. Let the hunt for six begin…"

The Lakers specifically needed Fisher to come back after Jordan Farmar signed with the Nets on Monday, too. They were incrdibly thin and their lone point guard was recent signee, Steve Blake.

Fisher won five championships with the Lakers, but felt that the Lakers have just as good of a chance than the recently named "Miami Thrice" to win a championship this year. He has spent 11 seasons playing for L.A. with stints in Utah and Golden State in between. He has averaged 9.0 points and 3.2 assists per game in his career.

Suns Add Childress, Turkoglu

By: Stephen Patterson

The Phoenix Suns will acquire Josh Childress and Hedo Turkoglu in separate trades according to the Arizona Republic. The Suns sent a 2012 second round draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Childress, who spent last season in Greece. Phoenix is expected to sign him to a deal in the neighborhood of 5-years/$30 million. The Suns traded Leandro Barbosa to the Toronto Raptors for Turkoglu.

Turkoglu could be the team's starting power forward in place of Amare Stoudemire, who signed with the Knicks last week. This move would allow fellow new addition Hakim Warrick to come off the bench. Turkoglu had a turbulent season with the Raptors last season, and it was widely believed Toronto would attempt to move him during the summer. If Turkoglu can play to his potential, he can be a very productive scorer. I expect he return to his previous form with the change of scenery, and while he may not be Amare, he's still a quality starter.

The Childress deal is already official and will give the team a small forward that is capable of starting or coming off the bench, depending on how he looks in training camp. Childress shot over 50% during his four seasons with Atlanta, so hopefully he will bring that accuracy to Phoenix.

While the Suns definitely lost one of their most popular players, they have done a nice job of being in quality players with the acquisitions of Childress, Warrick, and Turkoglu. I don't expect them to have a great season ending with a deep postseason run, but Phoenix will definitely still have a competitive team this year.

Southeast Division Getting Deeper

By: Stephen Patterson

With the formation of the Super Team in Miami, the Southeast Division may have just become the deepest division in the NBA. The Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat now all have teams that are capable of going deep in the postseason. This division is starting to look a lot like the AL East in the MLB, with multiple teams near the top of their sport.

The Magic have been strong contenders over the past two seasons, including one trip to the Finals in 2009, and look to win the division for a fourth consecutive time. The Heat just brought in LeBron James and Chris Bosh to team with Dwyane Wade, instantly creating the best trio in NBA history. While the Hawks clearly have shown they have a ceiling in the postseason, they still have the talent to make a fairly deep run in the playoffs. Even the Charlotte Bobcats and Washington Wizards are making improvements in the offseason.

Some people are already comparing the Miami Heat with the New York Yankees, claiming they are hurting the sport by stockpiling superstar players. I personally don't see how this hurts the NBA, it should just encourage other teams to step up their efforts to improve if they want to compete. Unlike the Yankees, the Heat didn't go outspend other teams to land their trio of stars. In fact, all three players are expected to accept less than the maximum to play together. While the Heat are still building up their roster around the Big Three, I expect they will add enough veteran players for the minimum to make a strong run this season.

Orlando will definitely provide the Heat with a quality in-state rivalry. Magic GM Otis Smith added fuel to the Sunshine State rivalry earlier today when he said he thought LeBron was "more of a competitor", referring to his decision to join Wade and Bosh with Miami. The Magic will have their own star filled line-up to go up against the Heat with Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson, and Rashard Lewis. If Orlando loses free agents Matt Barnes and J.J. Redick, they will definitely need to add some quality replacements if they want to keep their streak of division titles alive.

Atlanta has made the playoffs consistently over the past few seasons, but they have failed to advance past the second round in any of their trips. While they kept SG Joe Johnson with a maximum contract, a huge mistake in my opinion, they need to add a few more pieces to really compete for the division now. With rumors of possible trades circulating around Marvin Williams and Josh Smith, Atlanta may look to rebuild with new head coach Larry Drew. If they keep their team intact, I think they will still make the playoffs, but probably somewhere in the 6-8 seed range.

The Bobcats and Wizards are both improving, but they and are no where near being able to compete for the division. Charlotte made a big move today to keep Tyrus Thomas with a 5-year/$40 million contract, helping keep their young core intact that took the franchise to their first postseason last year. The Washington Wizards won huge in the lottery, picking up John Wall of Kentucky with the first overall pick despite having only a 7.6% chance of winning the top spot. Depending on what the franchise does with Gilbert Arenas, they have to potential to be a playoff team in 2-3 seasons.

With the Miami Heat gaining LeBron James and Chris Bosh, and with all three top teams keeping/returning their star players, expect this to be one of the most competitive divisions in the NBA this season. While the Heat may run away with the division after this season, they will still have Orlando and Atlanta on their heels this year. If Miami can pick up a few more decent assets, I expect them to barely beat out Orlando for the division this season.

Atlanta Gets The Big Diesel?

By: Tyler Ward

It has been reported today that ex-Cavalier Shaquille O'Neal is seriously favoring going to Atlanta for a 2 year deal, starting at $5.8 million the first year. The source said that, "I think he wants to see how everything shakes out with all the free agents, but he's seriously considering Atlanta's offer. He wants to play two more years, and he wants to be with a contender. He thinks he can help them become a serious one." The source asked not to be named. O'Neal made $20 million with the Cavaliers last season, so he would have to take a substantial pay cut if he really wanted to play in Atlanta.

The salary cap for the 2010-11 season is approximately $56.1 million. Including the Joe Johnson re-signing and rookie Jordan Crawford's $1 million salary, the Hawks would have 10 players under contract for about $63 million next season. This does not include the qualifying offer extended to Josh Childress for $4.8 million. This means that Atlanta is about $7 million above the cap, so Atlanta would have to dump a few players in order to get O'Neal. 

Another rumor going around today is that the Hawks are exploring trade options for F Josh Smith. In 2008, the Hawks matched the Memphis Grizzlies to keep Smith with a 5-year/$58 million extension. Smith is scheduled to make $11.6 million this year. If the Cavs re-sign Shaquille O'Neal to a 2-year deal worth $5.8 million each season, they could do a sign-and-trade deal with Atlanta in exchange for Smith. This would put the Hawks approximately $1.8 million still over the salary cap. They may have to move another player if they wanted Shaquille O'Neal in a Hawks uniform bad enough.

The Hawks have also considered moving F Marvin Williams, also. Williams is scheduled to make $6.7 million this year. Personally, I think $6.7 million may be too much for Williams. He has failed to live up to the expectations of one of the best players in the draft. If they can dump Williams for a decent veteran player, they may be able to sign O'Neal, depending on the contracts. 

Atlanta's re-signing of Joe Johnson is a good reason why O'Neal may want to go to Atlanta. If Joe Johnson didn't return, the Hawks would have lost out on a perennial 20-point scorer and Jamal Crawford would have to be put in the starting role. With Johnson, arguably their best player, they are a top team in the Eastern Conference and could do well in the playoffs. The addition of O'Neal would supply another big man off the bench. Atlanta could possibly bring a competitive playoff team next season if they get O'Neal and a veteran role player.

O'Neal averaged 12 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game last season. He also only played an average of a little over 23 minutes per game. All these were the lowest of his 18 seasons.

Johnson Stays With Hawks For Max Deal

By: Stephen Patterson

Joe Johnson has decided to stick around Atlanta afterall, agreeing to a 6-year/$119 million deal with the Hawks. Heading into free agency, it was almost a sure thing Johnson would be finding a new home in the offseason. But, apparently, the Hawks massive offer was too much for him to walk away from. The contract is worth nearly $27 million more than any other team could have offered. The Knicks and Bulls also showed strong interest in signing Johnson.

While Johnson has been a main piece in Atlanta's recent turnaround over the past few seasons, he pretty much mailed in his performance against Orlando in the playoffs this past season. When his team was getting blown out by over 25 points per contest, Johnson seemed more infatuated with trash talking his own city, saying he didn't really care if fans showed up to games or whether or not they booed their team.

Johnson will definitely be welcomed back by his teammates, and the city likely will forgive him for his playoff meltdown. But is Joe Johnson really worth $119 million over six seasons? That's an awfully large commitment with the uncertain future of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. Owners have discussed greatly lowering the maximum money thrown at players in an attempt to save franchise's from themselves. If this is the case, Atlanta will look pretty bad for throwing so much money at a player like Johnson.

Atlanta can expect Johnson to continue playing at an All-Star rate during the regular season, but when is he going to step and truly lead this team in the postseason? With the amount of money he is now earning, fans and management will both have higher expectations for the Hawks guard. If he doesn't produce at the most important time of the season, Johnson really isn't worth half the amount of money Atlanta is paying him. Until Johnson proves he can lead his team in the playoffs, it seems he may be remembered by most as the player who was most overpaid in the summer of 2010 Free Agent Frenzy.

Joe Johnson: Worth Bird Rights?

By: Stephen Patterson


With a little under six hours remaining until teams can officially begin negotiating with free agents, there have been reports that the Atlanta Hawks plan to offer Johnson the maximum deal allowed. If this is indeed the case, the offer would be in the range of $120 million/6 years and would give Johnson "Bird Rights", meaning he would have to agree to any trade the Hawks attempted to make involving him. The most another team could offer Johnson is a $97 million/5 year contract.

If the Hawks make this offer to Joe Johnson when they visit with him in Los Angeles, I think he will sign it immediately. In fact, I don't think Johnson will be able to sign his name fast enough. This potential contract could make Johnson the most overpaid player in the league over the next few seasons. While he was a key contributor for the Hawks in the regular season, Johnson had a horrid postseason and didn't do himself any favors with fans in Atlanta with some comments he made during the Orlando series. For a player like Johnson, $14-15 million is about the most he should make without him being considered overpaid for what he brings to the table.


While Johnson has posted career averages of almost 18 ppg 4 rpg 5 apg, he has never led a team anywhere near a championship. In fact, he has only been to the postseason in five of his nine seasons, and never progressed past the second round of the playoffs. Last season, it took Johnson and the Hawks seven games to get past a depleted Milwaukee team, missing star Andrew Bogut, in the opening round. The second round was far worse for the Hawks, including an embarassing 43 point beat down in the opening game of the series. The Hawks ended being swept by the Magic and losing the four games by a combined 101 points, which is an average of around 25 points per game. To make things even worse for Atlanta, Johnson only shot 39% from the field and 22% from three point range during the playoffs, compared to 46% and 37% during the regular season.


Not only is it a questionable decision for the Hawks to offer Johnson this kind of contract, but how will it look to his teammates that he will make nearly $20 million per season and he may not even be the best player on the team? In fact, Josh Smith, arguably the Hawks best player, only made roughly $10.4 million last season, while Johnson was already taking in $14.9 million. After such a horrendous playoff performance, how can the Hawks possibly explain giving Johnson this much money? Until I heard of this potential offer, I thought it was almost certain Johnson would be in another uniform next season. Now, it seems far less likely he will walk away from this amount of money. Also by receiving "Bird Rights", Johnson would have complete control over where he plays the next six seasons, something currently only Kobe Bryant has in his contract. In my opinion, if Johnson recieves this deal, the Atlanta Hawks will spend the next six seasons, and potentially longer, regretting their decision.