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Hawks Trade Harrington…Finally

Authored by Patrick J. Austin - August 24, 2006 - 11:34 am

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After many weeks of speculation and supposed “done deals” the Atlanta Hawks officially consummated the sign and trade of Al Harrington to the Indiana Pacers. In return, the Hawks received a top-10 protected 2007 first round pick, a massive trade exception, and rid themselves of an unproductive big man in John Edwards. Harrington gets his wish by returning to Indiana, but with a much more reasonable contract (4-years/35 million) than what was originally expected (6-years/57 million). Essentially, this transaction boils down to Harrington for cash and a first round pick which has to make you wonder why it took so long to complete.

The “Harrington to Indiana” saga began after the Indiana Pacers surprisingly (some say underhandedly) received a large trade exception from the New Orleans Hornets in return for Peja Stojackavic. That exception was just big enough to offer Harrington a competitive deal. Of course, the Pacers could only land Harrington via sign-and-trade since they are over the salary cap. That meant Billy Knight was in the drivers seat and he wasn’t going to just hand Harrington over for cash; he had other demands that needed to be satisfied. Those demands included three million dollars, the inclusion of John Edwards, and most importantly, a first round draft choice. It appeared as though the Pacers were willing to meet some of these requirements, but not all; and this is where the stalemate began.

No one knows exactly why both sides couldn’t reach an agreement earlier, though many believe it was due to a number of little issues. The necessity to add three million dollars and take on John Edwards’ contract irked Donnie Walsh, the Pacers general manager. Billy Knight wanted to make sure the protection of the draft choice was minimal so to strengthen its availability in 2007. Pacers ownership was reluctant to sign off on such a lengthy contract, especially for a tweener forward. All of these issues impeded the completion of the deal but weren’t big enough to completely end negotiations…at least not for an extended period.

That’s right, for a few days it looked like the sign and trade was caput. There were even reports about a new deal coming out of the woodwork that involved multiple teams and would have sent Harrington to the Denver Nuggets while the Hawks received Joe Smith and picks. To be honest, I don’t think there was any validity to these rumors. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if Harrington’s new agent, Arn Tellum, started that rumor in order to show the Pacers that Al had other suitors.

Finally, the Hawks and Pacers came back to the table and hammered out a deal. Neither side got everything they wanted. I’m sure the Pacers would have been happy just trading for Harrington and not having to waste a roster spot on John Edwards. The Hawks didn’t get the extra three million dollars and the pick could remain with the Pacers in 2007 if they have a down year (i.e. finish with one of the ten worst records in the league). Of course, both sides achieved their respective goals. The Pacers landed Harrington, a fan favorite and good friend of franchise superstar, Jermaine O’Neal. His addition should ensure the Pacers remain competitive in the East and battle for a playoff spot. The Hawks were wise to acquire a first round pick since their own selection will probably head to Phoenix as part of the Joe Johnson trade. Many believe the 2007 draft is going to be the best since 2003 (Bron, Melo, Wade) so a rebuilding team like the Hawks needed to have a pick, even if the selection won’t be very high.

Overall, the Hawks did okay in this deal. I would have loved for them to land a young big man like David Harrison but I guess the emphasis needed to be on acquiring a pick rather than a player. They could wind up being the big winners of this deal, but it’s all dependent on who they select with that draft choice. In a Hawk fan’s perfect world, the Pacers will play decent basketball but not good enough to make the playoffs and as a result they land the 11th pick in the draft. That pick would be sent to the Hawks and we wind up drafting a stud point guard or legit center that would catapult our franchise to contender status. Hey, it could happen…really, it could.