Hawks Offer Josh Smith Six Years, $60-million? <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Josh Smith lost his leverage against the Hawks when Philadelphia signed Elton Brand and Golden State signed Corey Maggette. Now, he's at the Hawks' mercy. But contrary to some opinions, they are showing mercy. According to sources, they are offering Smith a six-year deal worth $60 million. Smith wants $12 million a year, and I can't blame him for wanting as much money as possible. But I think the Hawks are being fair. With no competitors on the market, they could lowball Smith. They could offer him the same five-year, $45 million deal they offered last year, and no one could better it. Smith's options are limited. Sign-and-trade opportunities are sparse because Smith will be a base-year compensation player, complicating matters financially, and his qualifying offer of $3.1 million isn't that high because he was just the 17th pick of the 2004 draft. What Smith has to realize is that the Hawks have to protect their future. If they want to keep their young talent together, they can't break the bank for Smith. They're going to have to pay a lot of other folks too. Mike Bibby's contract expires after this season, and the deals for Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams expire the following year. That's not to mention Al Horford, who'll be deserving of a big raise in a few years. Plus, while Smith has blossomed into a potential All-Star, he hasn't led the Hawks anywhere yet. A 37-45 record is nothing to brag about, whether you took the champs to seven games or not. Atlanta is far from a playoff lock this season. And Smith should consider himself blessed. Perhaps he should get a little bit more money, but he could also be in the same position as Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor, who probably wish they had taken deals worth at least $10 million annually last summer.</div>
