Wow. Can this week get any crazier? The Hawks dysfunctional ownership group has just messed up a sweetheart deal that would have landed them Amare Stoudamire. That would have been a pretty nice lineup with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, but it is a moot point now.
As ESPN.com reported on Tuesday evening, Minnesota was looking to acquire Atlanta's No. 3 and No. 11 picks in the draft along with several cap-friendly contracts from the Hawks and Phoenix Suns. To participate, Atlanta wanted Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix.
On Wednesday, sources say one of the Hawks owners vetoed a hypothetical deal for Stoudemire.
I wonder if the Celtics will get back in on discussions.
Now the Hawks are back to being the pivitol point of the early draft. We know 1 and 2, we just don't know where the Hawks will go. Horford is the word, but don't rule out Yi or Conley Jr. or just about anyone at this point.
Update: Just read this bit from Katz
The buzz name throughout Wednesday was Yi Jianlian. According to multiple sources, Atlanta was holding high-level conversations as to whether or not to select Yi at No. 3. As late as Wednesday evening, the Hawks were 50-50 between Yi and Florida's Al Horford. Ownership was certainly high on Yi and at least one source was told by Hawks general manager Billy Knight that he was OK with drafting Yi. But that, of course, was depending on the Hawks keeping the pick.
Katz also reports that Wallace wants Brewer with #4, so we could see Horford slip to us after all.