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With 5:40 left in the third quarter at Miami, Smith missed a 20-foot jumper. He was pulled at the next timeout, six seconds later. At the time, the Hawks trailed by only seven points (63-56). Smith spent the rest of the game on the bench. When asked if the player was pulled for some reason other than injury, Drew laughed and responded, “That was just a coach’s decision. I’ll put it that way.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta Hawks, Josh Smith 

"When I signed here in New York," Stoudemire said after the Anthony trade was complete, "that pretty much opened the eyes for the rest of the basketball world that, 'New York is a place where I will go now.'" Stoudemire made the Knicks a credible option for other stars. It's why Chris Paul was interested before he found bliss, and Blake Griffin, in Los Angeles. It's why a member of Josh Smith's immediate family asked a longtime league official to help place Smith with the Knicks long before Atlanta started shopping him. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Trade, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Paul, Josh Smith 

His best friend, Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, had warned him it might be this way. "I told him, 'Dwight, you want to go to a big market, these folks are going to be hard on you,'" Smith told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "His whole view of the situation [in Orlando] was that he didn't want to be looked at as the bad guy because he wanted to leave. "But I was like, 'Dwight, you're one of the most dominant big men in the game. Even LeBron got criticized for the decision he made. People burned his jersey. They called him all kind of names. That's going to happen to you. And you need to learn how to accept it. "But the biggest thing you have to get ready for is the media. In a smaller market they cover you up a little bit. These folks are going to be putting everything out there. You need to be ready for it." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith 

Still, he stands by his assertion that he deserves a top-level contract, and he will find out in the coming months whether any team feels the same way. “I didn’t just come up and make the statement that I was [a maximum player] — it was a question that I was asked,” he said. “I gave an honest answer. It’s not added pressure. I’m not going around just stating that. It was definitely a question. “I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to look ahead. I focus on the present. As long as we do special things during the season or during the postseason, I don’t look into the future. I’ll think about [free agency] when it gets here.” Boston Globe

Atlanta Hawks, Free Agency, Josh Smith 

Atlanta can re-sign him. Dallas has enough cap space. Houston might be in the mix. The Nets, however, left the picture at the trade deadline. “That’s a pretty good team,” Smith said about Brooklyn. “They have a lot of talent. The organization has definitely been turned around by the owner they have. They’re a good team. We’re a good team too. Who knows what would have happened, but it didn’t happen. I’m here. So I just have to focus on what I can do in order for us to keep succeeding and keep getting better.” New York Daily News

Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Free Agency, Josh Smith 

A maximum deal would start at five years and about $90 million, which scared Ferry, who, like several league executives, doesn’t believe Smith is worth that. But Ferry decided to keep Smith, who is now potentially in his final days as a Hawk, trying to push the rather insignificant franchise to a top-division playoff seed. “It was total chaos, for two or three weeks,” said Smith. “It’s good just to concentrate, knowing where I’m at, at least until the end of the season, and now we can focus on what we can do to make a playoff push and jockeying for position, knowing that it’s a real tight race. It’s good to be able to focus on basketball.” Boston Globe

Atlanta Hawks, Free Agency, Josh Smith 

Grantland ace Zach Lowe has a longer look at Houston's unorthodox approach to team-building that sources say will continue this summer with the free-agent pursuit of Dwight Howard -- and Andrew Bynum and Josh Smith if Howard rebuffs them -- to pair with star swingman James Harden. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Free Agency, Andrew Bynum, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, James Harden 

The persistent whisper into Stein Line HQ, according to sources with knowledge of the talks, is that Josh Smith-to-Milwaukee is the trade scenario Atlanta came the closest to consummating before the Feb. 21 trade deadline. Reports this week that the Sixers and Hawks were close on a deal that would have sent Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes to the Hawks in a package for Smith were dismissed by one source who insists that the Hawks' talks with Philly were never as serious as the discussions with the Bucks. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Trade, Josh Smith 

What's indisputable is that the Hawks, given their druthers, had hoped to send Smith to the Western Conference if they found a workable trade. Sources say that Dallas was among the teams that rejected those overtures, with the Mavs unwilling to add a draft pick to a package that would have cost them Vince Carter and Chris Kaman's expiring contract in addition to rookie Jae Crowder and the expiring deals of Brandan Wright and Dahntay Jones. The Mavs simply weren't prepared to give up Carter, Crowder and a pick for an undeniable talent but longtime enigma who A) could leave after the season via unrestricted free agency, B) reportedly wants max money and C) wasn't guaranteed to fit well alongside Dirk Nowitzki since both play the 4. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Trade, Josh Smith 

Of course, Smith also almost landed on the Nets and Bucks, among other places. “It was a possibility of me going a lot of places,” Smith said after his near triple-double (32 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds) in Boston, “but I’m here and I’m focusing on what’s at stake right now. I’m trying to get a little higher playoff position, so I am not worried about anything else but winning games for this organization and this team.” WEEI.com

Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Trade, Josh Smith 

Before the trade deadline passed, the Boston Celtics had one final choice to make on the franchise's future: In a three-way deal that would've secured Josh Smith and surrendered Paul Pierce to Dallas, Atlanta wanted Boston's first-round draft pick, too. As much as any of the proposed deals discussed in February, perhaps this had been the closest Pierce had come to parting with the Celtics, sources told Yahoo! Sports. Dallas had constructed a package that included Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright and Dahntay Jones to Atlanta, with the Mavericks and Hawks exchanging positions in the 2013 NBA draft. Yahoo! Sports

Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Paul Pierce, Trade, Josh Smith, Dahntay Jones, Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder 

Sources from both teams confirmed that the Sixers and the Hawks were close to a deal that would have sent Sixers Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes to the Hawks for forward Josh Smith. The trade deadline passed last month with no deal. Philadelphia Inquirer

Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Trade, Evan Turner, Josh Smith, Spencer Hawes 

John Mitchell: Atlanta source says the Sixers and the Hawks actually began talking trading for Josh Smith last season. it was close this season. Twitter @JmitchInquirer

Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Trade, Evan Turner, Josh Smith, Spencer Hawes 

Smith, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, said he tried to ignore the trade talk. "I really didn't pay much attention to everything that was in the media," Smith said. "I knew there were discussions, but as a player you can't listen to all that stuff. I just want to do whatever I can for the Atlanta Hawks to help us in the playoffs." Philadelphia Inquirer

Atlanta Hawks, Free Agency, Trade, Josh Smith 

Dwight Howard could feel Atlanta forward Josh Smith's pain after Kobe Bryant dunked over him Sunday. The Lakers center reluctantly recalled falling a victim on a similar play in the 2004-05 season with the Orlando Magic. "I was a rookie. It'll never happen again, and he knows that," Howard said. "We don't talk about it." Doesn't Bryant ever try to dunk on him in practice? "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't try," Howard smiled. "He's getting old." Los Angeles Daily News

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith 

First, Smith says he has a good idea on whether Howard will stay with the Lakers once he becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason. "I can't pick his brain and be in his head but to me, I don't see him going anywhere," Smith said before the Lakers hosted the Hawks at Staples Center. "It would be a shock to me." Why? "Dwight is a loyal athlete and loyal person," Smith said. "He's not a quitter and doesn't run from situations. That's why I believe with this franchise and the way he's talked so well about it, I can't see him going anywhere." Los Angeles Daily News

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith 

Howard and Smith grew up together in Atlanta and played on the same AAU team. To this day, they often talk about eventually becoming teammates again. "Situations like that are far fetched so it's more, `What if we play with each other?"' Smith said. "In AAU basketball, we had a ton of success. You never know what the future entails. But we can talk about it. It might not necessarily happen. But it's a good conversation." But Smith stressed neither he nor Howard are actively trying to ensure that outcome. "If it happens, it'll be crazy," Smith said. "But you never know. " Los Angeles Daily News

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith 

The bond between Lakers center Dwight Howard and Hawks forward Josh Smith goes back to their days growing up together in Atlanta and teaming up on the same AAU team. With the Lakers (29-30) hosting the Atlanta Hawks (33-23) on Sunday at Staples Center, Howard conceding the two long-time friends have repeatedly talked about reliving those days and teaming up together. "We have a couple of times," Howard said. "But unfortunately that hasn't happened." Los Angeles Daily News

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith 

The Hawks wanted to trade Josh Smith to Milwaukee on deadline day. They fully expected to, frankly. But Atlanta, from the start, wanted Monta Ellis back from Milwaukee. The only Buck with long-term money they were willing to take back instead, according to sources close to the process, was Ersan Ilyasova. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Trade, Monta Ellis, Josh Smith, Ersan Ilyasova 

Sources say Milwaukee, however, was not willing to put Ellis or Ilyasova into the deal. Which left the Hawks with two choices: Trade Smith to Milwaukee for a package featuring Beno Udrih's expiring contract paired with forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute … or keep Smith beyond the deadline and risk seeing him walk away from Atlanta in the summertime without compensation. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Trade, Beno Udrih, Josh Smith, Ersan Ilyasova, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute