After all of the rumors and all of the guarantees that he would be traded, the deadline has past and Josh Smith will remain with Atlanta. The Hawks rejected a last minute trade with Milwaukee that would have sent Smith to the Bucks and given Atlanta Ekpe Udoh, Luc Mbah-Moute, Beno Udrih and a protected No. 1 draft pick. Milwaukee put a lot into its attempt to get Smith, but in the end, Atlanta felt it could get a better offer. 

Smith had been the target of several teams leading up to the trade deadline. At one point team officials had said it was a 100 percent guarantee that Smith would be leaving Atlanta prior to the Thursday deadline. After receiving offers from the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, Atlanta must feel they can get a better trade in the summer when the season is over.

Smith is set to become a free agent this summer and will likely be demanding a maximum contract. He is currently set to make $13.2 million at the end of the season and will be the top free agent on the market next season. His expiring contract made him an attractive trade prospect, but the Hawks could not get the package they were hoping for. 

There is still a chance Atlanta could pay him big money and keep Smith. He has played his entire career with the Hawks. The team dumped high paid players Joe Johnson and  Marvin Williams last season and technically could afford to pay Smith his demands. However, they could dump him and get a big named player in return. 

Smith is putting up great numbers and could be a worthy asset to Atlanta in the long run. He is averaging 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 3.9 assists per game this season, all while shooting 45 percent from the floor. But, as Smith is about to enter year 10 in the NBA, are his numbers going to get any better? He has yet to lead Atlanta on any kind of championship run. These are all the things the team will have to consider when free agency begins at the end of the season.

For now, Smith will likely be finishing out the season in Atlanta. With 21 games left in the season, the Hawks will make no adjustments to their roster. With a 29-23 record, they are currently slotted into sixth place in the East. By keeping Smith, the team already puts themselves in the championship picture.