Atlanta
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
Our own Patrick J. Austin reported a few days ago that Atlanta may have interest in Indiana's Scot Pollard. How could a potential trade with Indiana shake out?
Indiana and Atlanta have a curious relationship in terms of cities not just franchises this year. The Hoosiers were hoping to pick up Josh Smith but Atlanta nabbed him in the draft. Just after the draft, the Hawks and Pacers exchanged Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson. Now Pollard, acquired by the Pacers in the Brad Miller trade of a year ago, may be making a move to the Hawks as well.
Pollard has a fairly large remaining contract, though next season it would be an expiring one that could be used as a trade piece. Would Indiana package him with a first round pick in exchange for a couple of seconds? Would Indiana want a player back in return?
What the Hawks need in addition to a bruising, rebounding center is a quality and young point guard. But would the Pacers give up Jamaal Tinsley? If the Hawks can somehow get both of those players, even if it means giving up their own first, it might turn out to be a very good trade. Perhaps the best trade for the Hawks would be to get Pollard and Tinsley and ship out Delk and a second round draft pick or two. Then Indiana gets a point guard and some picks.
But why would they give up Tinsley? They wouldn't. It's a pipe dream. But until an official trade is announced, one can dream...
One can also have nightmares. Could Indiana be looking to somehow get Boris Diaw in exchange? That would be a tough call to make.
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Our own Patrick J. Austin ofHoopsworld.com writes: The Hawks seem to be taking the trade route for their needs in the middle. After recently acquiring 6'11 center, Peja Drobjnak, the Hawks might be working out another deal that lands us a big man. The name floating around is former-Hawk, Scott Pollard.
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The Associated Press writes inThe Courier Press: Lucas Steijn, a 6-foot-10, 230-pound center from the Netherlands, has joined the Indiana University basketball team... Steijn will have four years of eligibility and joins a recruiting class that is considered one of the nation's best even though the Hoosiers lost two players to the pros - Rothbart and Josh Smith, who was taken by the Atlanta Hawks with the 17th pick in June's NBA draft.