Hawks Dealing

G Joe Johnson was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.

F Marvin Williams (pictured right) was traded to the Utah Jazz.

The Atlanta Hawks have gotten the busy NBA free agency period started by making two significant trades. The Hawks started by trading their $100 million man, G Joe Johnson, to the Brooklyn Nets for the expiring contracts of G Jordan Farmar, F Johan Petro, F Anthony Morrow, C Jordan Williams, and G Deshawn Stevenson. Stevenson is currently a free agent so his inclusion in the deal is via sign-and-trade.

Only recently have the Nets and the Hawks talked about a deal including Johnson. Johnson was able to capitalize on being in a strong free agency class in 2010. The Hawks were reluctant to lose him so they paid him $119 million for six years. Johnson hasn't been able to lift the Hawks since he signed the deal. In the 2011 postseason, they were ousted again in the second round by the Chicago Bulls, and were ousted by the Boston Celtics in the first round this postseason.

For good measure, the Hawks also decided to deal their former first-round pick F Marvin Williams to the Utah Jazz for G Devin Harris. Williams, who was drafted second overall by the Hawks in the 2005 NBA Draft ahead of G Deron Williams and G Chris Paul, has been a disappointment in the NBA. He was projected to be a franchise player, but has become nothing more than a less-than-average role player. After seven insignificant seasons in Atlanta, the Hawks finally let him go.

By unloading Johnson's $119 million contract, the Hawks have surprisingly put themselves in position to be in the running for C Dwight Howard. Even though it is considered a longshot by NBA analysts, Howard's best friend is F Josh Smith and both Smith and Howard were born and raised in Atlanta. The Hawks will definitely try to sell Howard and those two points once they decide to step into trade conversations. They can also wait for next offseason to attempt to sign him.

Howard has publicly stated that there is only one team that he interested in joining. Many NBA analysts and sources have stated that team is the Nets. Howard won't publicly state what team he's looking to join, so the Hawks are holding out hope that he would like to join his hometown team. As soon as Danny Ferry jumped on board to become the Hawks' general manager, his goal was to rid the Hawks of the two most expensive contracts, which he has just achieved. Ferry now looks to rebuild with cap flexibility.

As for the Nets, signing G Deron Williams will put them at the limit of the salary cap, which would essentially take them out of the bidding for Howard's service in free agency next season. This means the only way the Nets can obtain Howard is through a sign-and-trade. So now the question is do the Nets hold on to Joe Johnson for long? With an opportunity to get Dwight Howard, I don't see the Nets holding on to him for long.

With the acquisition of Harris, it will be interesting to see what the team does with him and rising G Jeff Teague. Do they pair both of them in a small backcourt, or do they come with Harris off the bench? That is a question coach Larry Drew will have to answer come September or October. As for now, hopefully a new location and potential fresh start for Marvin Williams can bring more out of him. So far, his career has been a bust.

Pressure For Melo?

Miami Heat F Lebron James and New York Knicks F Carmelo Anthony

With the Miami Heat being up three games to one on the Oklahoma City Thunder, F Lebron James seems destined to capture the long-awaited championship that has eluded him the first eight seasons of his career. James has been the most scrutinized player in the NBA for coming up short every season while having championship expectations.

In the 2006-2007 season, James and the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't really have any championship expectations. However, with a 50-32 record and a #2 seed in the East, they shocked the #1 seed Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for the first time. As expected, they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. It was supposed to be a humbling lesson for James and the Cavaliers, as his time was coming soon.

In the 2007-2008 season, James missed several games due to injury, in which the Cavaliers lost each one of the games James missed. The Cavaliers dipped to 45-37 and a #4 seed in the East, but with a healthy James, they took the eventual champions Boston Celtics to seven games in which James scored 45 points in the Game 7 loss.

The following offseason, the Cavaliers were able to acquire G Mo Williams in a three-team trade. The Cavaliers immediately took off with Williams providing scoring help for James. The Cavaliers ran through the league en route to a 66-16 record, one game better than the Los Angeles Lakers for the best record in the NBA. However, they were stunned by the #3 seed Orlando Magic. The next season, the Cavaliers won 61 games but lost to the #4 seed Celtics in the second round.

James failed to win a championship with the less-than-subpar supporting cast in Cleveland, and bolted for Miami in the oft-criticized "The Decision" program which aired on ESPN. James would join his good friend G Dwyane Wade in an effort to win a championship, and they were instantly written down as the team to win the next several championships. James even added to his own pressure with his speech during their introduction to Miami in American Airlines Arena, in which he famously said, "Not three, not four, not five..."

While the Heat struggled initially, they caught fire in the month of December. In a midseason funk in late February to early March, in which the Heat would lose five straight games, including a memorable home loss against the Chicago Bulls in which it was stated by head coach Erik Spoelstra that several players were crying in the locker room. The Heat bounced back and made it to the NBA Finals in which they were favorites to win. However, the Dallas Mavericks got their long-awaited championship by beating the Heat in six games.

Lebron James has traveled a long road to get this close to winning his first title. However, a friend of his drafted two spots after him to the Denver Nuggets has enjoyed a decorated career himself. F Carmelo Anthony actually has been to the playoffs every season of his NBA career. James missed the playoffs his first two seasons. However, Anthony has only made it out of the first round once, when they lost to the Lakers in the 2009 Western Conference Finals.

The careers of James and Anthony have always been compared to each other. However, as James has enjoyed being in championship contention every year, Anthony has suffered early exits from the postseason. In the 2010 season, the Nuggets had another opportunity to get past the first round. However, they were upset by the Utah Jazz, and that was the last of Anthony's playoff tenure with the Nuggets.

Anthony was traded mid-season to the New York Knicks during the 2010-2011 season. The Knicks struggled after acquiring Anthony, and were promptly swept by the Celtics in the first round. This season didn't prove to be any different, as Anthony and the Knicks struggled and were promptly handled in the first round by James' Heat.

If James has been on the hot seat for so long, why isn't Anthony? Will the media turn their attention to Anthony after James captures his first championship? This will be very interesting observe. Many people generally agree that Anthony isn't a championsip-caliber player. However, with the career he has enjoyed so far, he will need a championship.

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LT Walks Away

After 11 Hall-of-Fame seasons, RB Ladainian Tomlinson has called it quits.

At 32 years old and 13,000 yards plus to his 11-year career, former San Diego Chargers RB Ladainian Tomlinson has decided to hang up the cleats and get ready to attack the next phase of his life; retirement. With Tomlinson being such a solid receiver in addition to being a Hall of Fame running back, many might question if he is leaving the game too soon. There are several teams in the league that can use his abilities, especially on third downs. Tomlinson, however, was not going to wait long to get the right offer.

When thinking about the career of Tomlinson, who was drafted fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft out of TCU, you immediately think of his prime years with the Chargers, especially his 2006 season. The Chargers went 14-2 that season, and Tomlinson reached the end zone a record 30 times that season en route to an NFL MVP award. Tomlinson also helped the Chargers get to the playoffs several times, including an appearance in the AFC Championship Game in 2007.

Tomlinson played his final two seasons with the New York Jets, the team that eliminated the Chargers in the 2009 playoffs in his final season there. Tomlinson's carries reduced with the Jets, especially this past season where he only got 75 carries. However, he still caught 42 passes for over 400 yards. The Jets actually could've benefited from giving Tomlinson more carries. RB Shonn Greene received the majority of the carries, but he did not give the rushing attack a boost at all.

Tomlinson first indicated his plans to retire during the memorial service at Qualcomm Stadium for former Chargers LB Junior Seau. Tomlinson said he has been reading books and learning way to adjust to life being retired, something that Seau couldn't quite adjust to. Adjusting to retirement isn't as easy as many thought, as some players struggle without the fame and money. Now, the issue of injuries and concussions suffered from years of hard-hitting and collisions has dominated as a number of retired players have filed numerous lawsuits against the NFL for leaving them in the dark about the dangers of concussions.

You never know how someone's retirement could turn out. It could be a nice and quiet retirement for Tomlinson if he stays out of the public eye like former Detroit Lions RB Barry Sanders. He could stay in the spotlight in some form of an analyst position with a major TV network like former New York Giants DE Michael Strahan. Or it could be a tumultuous and hectic time if he doesn't adjust to retirement like he would want to. Let's hope it's a successful retirement. He deserves it.

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