Hawks forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim knows this can't be it. There's no way the Hawks trade Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson for a contract and do nothing else.

"I didn't understand it," Abdur-Rahim said this weekend, describing his initial reaction to the news that Robinson was dealt to the 76ers in a four-team trade that landed the $11.1 million contract of soon-to-retire point guard Terrell Brandon. "I thought, 'We give up 20 points a game for a guy who's going to retire?' Something else is coming behind."

Abdur-Rahim said he called Billy Knight, the Hawks' interim general manager, after hearing the news because "nobody wants to be a part of a team when they want to rebuild." After talking with Knight, Abdur-Rahim said he realizes the move was made for financial reasons but will withhold judgment of the trade that brought the team $2.42 million under the salary cap.

"It depends on what they do," he said, speaking of Hawks management. "If we can acquire a few different guys, I can see where [the cap room] helps. I've got confidence in the things Billy is doing, but we have to start getting on the ball. We need a small forward, a shooting guard --- and we need to re-sign Jason [Terry]."

Abdur-Rahim leads all active NBA players in games played without a postseason appearance (533), and he isn't looking forward to the prospect of missing out again. He's had enough losing seasons in his first seven years in Vancouver and Atlanta.

"I hate to see Dog go," said Abdur-Rahim, the Hawks' second-leading scorer after Robinson last season.