Sixers pull out all stops for Josh Smith

Team could make big offer, but Hawks could match it By MARTIN FRANK • The News Journal • July 3, 2008 It was much like a college coach recruiting a high school all-American when the 76ers brought in Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent Josh Smith for a visit Wednesday. The only difference is that a college coach can’t offer the recruit millions of dollars, like the Sixers can with Smith. It is not known if that offer has come yet as the Sixers wined and dined him well into the evening. The Sixers are more than $11 million under the NBA’s salary cap, and they can offer Smith perhaps as much as $65 million over five years. The Hawks have seven days to match any offer, which they said they would do. The Sixers are trying to make that as difficult as possible. They took Smith on a tour of Philadelphia. They showed him the Wachovia... [read full story]