Ironically, while the Hawks seem to have a good camaraderie, it may be Jamal Crawford who may have muddied the waters in terms of how the Hawks deal with the upcoming summer. Athletic forward and Atlanta native Josh Smith seems to have turned the corner, while All-Star center Al Horford continues to display promise and will have a contract of his own coming up soon. The addition of Crawford, who looks like the leading candidate for the NBA’s sixth man of the year award, may make them less inclined to give Joe Johnson a max deal, according to Hawks sources.

Whereas Johnson was once the end-all and be-all for the Hawks, the current team is much more offensively balanced and now can boast another shot-creator and explosive scorer, who comes with a far cheaper price tag. Furthermore, while the Hawks’ locker-room environment is relatively harmonious, there are whispers that the team’s talented frontcourt players are weary of Johnson’s shot selection, off-and-on defensive tendencies and perceived preferential treatment from head coach Mike Woodson. Still, Atlanta is now one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference and a darkhorse to make a deep run in the playoffs.

“It would be really difficult to leave this situation if I’m Joe,” said Sekou Smith, longtime NBA beat reporter and now a writer for NBA.com. “If you’re a player in this league and you’ve been in this league as long as Joe has, your motivations are pretty simple now. You’ve got the huge contract, so it’s not like you’re out there searching for that huge payday again. Whatever he gets this contract is gravy on top of a pretty fantastic stretch and now it’s like you get labeled for chasing the money if you were to leave.”