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Silly gaytliens
It has been fashionable to suggest the Hawks could have something like $30 million in cap room this summer, but that isn't exactly true, and Smith is a big reason why. Like all outgoing free agents, he'll still count against Atlanta's cap number via an artificial charge linked to his most recent salary; that charge amounts to something like $16.5 million in Smith's case. Jeff Teague, a restricted free agent, will also carry such a charge, known as a cap hold. Even discounting all of Atlanta's other free agents, the Hawks will have something like $45.5 million on the books when free agency begins, once you factor in their first-round pick and small charges for empty roster spots. Assuming the cap jumps to about $60 million, that barely leaves enough room for a post–rookie deal max contract, let alone the mammoth $20 million salary for which Howard will be eligible next season.