It’s been a tough last decade cheering for the Hawks. And after this year’s playoff run, I grabbed onto some hope that maybe there was a good future in store for Atlanta.

Then free agency comes, where the 3,000 different Hawks owners said they were “going to do everything possible to sign the Joshes.” The Joshes, that is, being Josh Childress, top reserve from last year, and Josh Smith, one of our best young players.

Well, scratch Childress off the list. It’s not that another NBA team got him, but a team in Greee has given him an offer he can’t say no to. The offer is for three years, and is worth $20 million in guaranteed money. At the end of any year, he’s able to opt out of his contract.

“It’s obviously a bit different, being the first player to do something like this,” Childress said on a conference call. “But I think it’s a great opportunity, and it’s going to be a great experience for me.”

“I was in a situation that I really didn’t know what my answer would be when I got to Athens,” he said. “But it’s a great city and a great team, and they did everything to make me feel at home.”

Way to go, Atlanta Hawks. One glimmer of hope, and now you’re looking to throw away the next five years. Memo: Having just Joe Johnson (this is under the assumption they let Josh Smith go, and then probably let Al Horford go in two years) isn’t going to win any games. It just isn’t.