At least in the short term — and assuming Dwight Howard isn’t walking through that door – there’s really only one major decision left for (Danny) Ferry to make in the short term. And that’s: What to do with Josh Smith? The likely answer for now appears to be nothing.

Smith, tired of being singled out for blame when things go wrong and yearning to compete for a championship, told the Hawks last year he wanted out. But much has changed since then. Ferry replaced (Rick) Sund. He arrived with a “more objective view” of where the Hawks were. He was given autonomy to make needed changes.

Ferry will tell you that he “didn’t come in looking to” trade (Joe) Johnson, but the opportunity presented itself (and he pounced). But Smith is a different story. Ferry likes him — a lot.

“He’s a really good player,” Ferry said. “I love his ability to pass the ball. I love his ability to make game-changing plays defensively. I love his competitiveness. If I was out there playing, I would want Josh on my team.”

But does Smith want to be here? He wasn’t available for comment Tuesday, but Ferry said he has met with him twice.

via Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution