The NBA trade rumors are really going to start to ramp up this in the coming days with the NBA trade deadline less than a week away. After March 15, big-name players around the league like Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers), Deron Williams (New Jersey Nets) and Monta Ellis (Golden State Warriors) might be playing elsewhere. Even though everyone will be waiting for the verdict on all these players, a new big-name has been added to the mix in the Atlanta Hawks’ Josh Smith.

The Atlanta Hawks were considered to be one of the best all-around teams in the league right out of the gate this season. They may have not been getting comparisons to the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls as the best in the Eastern Conference, but they were a force to be reckoned with. Ever since All-Star forward/center Al Horford went down for the season, the Hawks haven’t been the same team and have relied on Josh Smith to carry the load.

Despite being able to carry the load and keep the Hawks above water almost single-handedly, Smith appears to want out of Atlanta. This is no real surprise as many people have anticipated the versatile forward looking for a new destination. Now that Smith is considered one of the best forwards in the game, the trade interest is through the roof as many teams could be interested in acquiring the potential All-Star.

One team that might be in the running is the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though the Lakers have been mentioned in numerous trade rumors, dealing with the Hawks actually makes sense as they could use both Smith and a point guard like Jeff Teague or Kirk Hinrich. Pau Gasol would be the player headed to the Hawks in return.

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