Harrington sets tone for free agencyHe's a key for Hawks and rest of NBA By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 06/30/06 Not only is Al Harrington's future in the balance, but he is the linchpin to the Hawks' free-agent summer. He's the Hawks' strongest tool in their quest to secure a veteran point guard via sign-and-trade and he's also one of a few players who will set the tone for the entire league as the NBA's free agency period begins today. If Detroit All-Star center Ben Wallace is the most high-profile free agent, Harrington is 1A. Teams with reported interest in acquiring Harrington include Indiana, Los Angeles Lakers, New York, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Golden State, Houston, Detroit and Chicago. And that list could grow depending on the tenor of the negotiations between Harrington and the Hawks, which will pick up in the coming days. "You have to let the process work itself out and remember that first and foremost that this is a business," Harrington said Friday by phone from his offseason home in Los Angeles. "Teams make business decisions this time of year and so do players. It's all business right now." Only five teams are under the salary cap, meaning they can afford to sign free agents without the assistance of a sign-and-trade. The Hawks ($18.2 million under the cap), Charlotte ($24.6), Chicago ($17.5), New Orleans ($16.9) and Toronto ($12.9) all have the cap flexibility in pursuit of free agents. But not all of them are interested in a 26-year-old forward that ranked among the top 30 scorers in the league and has spent the past two seasons as a Hawks co-captain. There are plenty of suitors, though. And plenty of teams that will evaluate sign-and-trade scenarios involving Harrington. Packaging Harrington in a sign-and-trade deal would preserve the Hawks' salary cap flexibility and allow them to pursue yet another free-agent point guard or big man. The financially feasible possibilities include Harrington and Wallace being swapped in a sign-and-trade or Harrington going to Milwaukee in a sign-and-trade for veteran center Jamaal Magloire and third-year point guard Mo Williams. "I'm not ever going to talk about specifics when it comes to players, our players or anyone else's players," Hawks general manager Billy Knight said. "So everyone will just have to let this [free agent process] play out and see what happens." Verbal agreements for free-agent signees and trades can not become official until July 12. "We're going to prepare for free agency regardless of where Atlanta is," Harrington's New York-based agent Andy Miller said by phone Friday. "There are teams under the cap. So we're going into this process the way we normally would. Our priority is what's in the best interest of Al." The Hawks did acquire some security in Wednesday's draft in case they don't sign Harrington. Shelden Williams is a ready-to-play power forward. Also, no one should underestimate the impact Josh Smith's emergence during the second half of last season has had on the Hawks' ability to replace the production that would be lost in Harrington. "Like I said, it's all business," Harrington said. "I love all my [Hawks] teammates, each and every one of them. We went through some things together the past two years that make you family. But in this league, business always comes first. That's just a reality." The No. 21 pick During Wednesday's draft Phoenix used one of the draft picks the Hawks had to give up in the Joe Johnson deal from last summer. The Suns took Kentucky point guard Rajon Rondo with the 21st pick but traded it later to Boston to ease their salary cap burden with so many current players in line for new contracts or extensions. The Hawks owe the Suns their first-round pick in the 2007 draft if it's not a top-three selection. Ivey in, Smith out The Hawks exercised the contract option on third-year point guard Royal Ivey on Friday but declined it on third-year swingman Donta Smith. 资料来源 http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/hawks/stories/0701hawks.html --

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