ATL Spirit is losing money so does that mean......

[Wurider05]

that they will pull the trigger on the AI trade!! It would mean instant revenue. Hell I think that they are going to do it just so they can sell out Phillips and hopefully turn a profit.

[Diesel]

If I'm an owner losing money... and AI who grosses the most in paraphenilia sells and who gets more sellouts in Atlanta than Jordan did is available...

Then I have to consider bringing him on board AND cutting some salary and hoping for wins!

[Diesel]

Maybe we make the trade Bigger...

Al/Pick right (M. Williams)/Zaza/Lue to Philly for Dally/AI...

[jezmund]

No Dally. His contract is awful for his production.

[Diesel]

Mainly getting them out of two bad contracts.

Dally is a big who plays defense...

[Duff_Man]

Quote:

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Mainly getting them out of two bad contracts.

Dally is a big who plays defense...

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Take it from someone close to Philly...Dally is softer than Kleenex and would be a downgrade from what Zaza does. That trade would kill the Hawks in more ways than one.

[Dragitoff]

Does that deal even work under the estimated cap? I like it, but I doubt it fits. If it does, you'd have ALOT committed to just AI, JJ, and Dally, but oh my that looks like a good team on paper.

[Vol4ever]

I've said all along that Dally is soft and you can add Aldridge to that too.

[Diesel]

If we could pull the right PF in the second round (Craig Smith/A. Johnson) then we'd be set for the next few years...

As far as the cap...

Hmm...

Al = 10.

Zaza = 4.

Lue = 3

=17.

We've almost paid for AI.

I think we'd still have the 8.8 million under the cap to pay for Dally.

[jezmund]

Al/Chill/Lue for AI doesn't bring much to our cap either. I'd really hate to lose Chill, though, but AI is an All-NBA caliber player that, in times of financial troubles, would certainly bring some bills to Philips. I'd rather have Zaza over Dally, so that'd definitely be a kicker for me. Zaza makes less than half of what Dally probably makes.

[Diesel]

Part of the reason why Philly would entertain trading with us is because they'd be able to free up some cap space. US exchangiing them AL/Lue for AI doesn't help them significantly. AI is a much better fan draw is a much better player. Philly is not in the business of trading an allstar for players that's just good unless there's an added benefit.

What I see is Salary Cap Flexibility.

[Dragitoff]

So let's say the Hawks do get Alexander Johnson in the 2nd round with their pick (I'd be happy) and would have the money to pay Dally.....let's look at our roster

AI/Ivey

JJ/Salim

Marvin/Chillz/D. Smith

Smoove/Johnson/Batista

Dalembert/Edwards

We'd still be significantly weak on big men, although this looks like the kind of team BK would dream of (especially if he could make AI grow another 8")

[Blunt91]

Maybe this is why they didn't settle the buyout with Belkin in the timeframe they agreed on. This still doesn't speak well for the Atlanta Spirit. Billy Knight & Bernie Mullin claimed that Belkin wanted to run the team on the cheap but if that is so then they would have some money saved up instead of losing 20million dollars.The Judge might look at this and decided Belkin is more suited to run the team. Why can't we have a competent franchise?

[Dejay]

I also smell an AI trade or something of that caliber going down within the next couple of months. Despite falling short of the playoffs, the Thrashers are finally winning and pulling their load; now the owners are looking for the Hawks to do the same, if not better. And the way this group is losing $$$, they can't afford for this team to be in the bottom-3 in attendance for another 2-5 years. As I stated earlier, this ownership group doesn't have the jack of Arthur Blank to wait on the young guys and hemorrage $$$ at the same time. As we all know, Atlanta isn't the type of town to get behind losing of ANY kind; just ask the Braves. With five other pro sports teams (including the Force and Gladiators), two major college programs, multiple spots of entertainment, 10 1/2 months of good weather year round, and 80+ percent of the metro area populated by transients who really could give a fat baby's ass about going to 'insert Atlanta sports facility here' until their hometown teams come in, with the rest staying away because they know better, losing is just not tolerated and the punishment for doing so is folks finding something and somewhere else to spend their $$$.

[drzachary]

Quote:

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I also smell an AI trade or something of that caliber going down within the next couple of months. Despite falling short of the playoffs, the Thrashers are finally winning and pulling their load; now the owners are looking for the Hawks to do the same, if not better. And the way this group is losing $$$, they can't afford for this team to be in the bottom-3 in attendance for another 2-5 years. As I stated earlier, this ownership group doesn't have the jack of Arthur Blank to wait on the young guys and hemorrage $$$ at the same time. As we all know, Atlanta isn't the type of town to get behind losing of ANY kind; just ask the Braves. With five other pro sports teams (including the Force and Gladiators), two major college programs, multiple spots of entertainment, 10 1/2 months of good weather year round, and 80+ percent of the metro area populated by transients who really could give a fat baby's ass about going to 'insert Atlanta sports facility here' until their hometown teams come in, with the rest staying away because they know better, losing is just not tolerated and the punishment for doing so is folks finding something and somewhere else to spend their $$$.

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Remarkable accuracy there, especially the part about the transients. That's a basic fact that would be picked up in reporting if sportswriters were real journalists. Yes, I'm bitter.

[Dejay]

We've seen everyone under the sun on ESPN wax poetic about the attendance and the perceived lack of support for years. It has almost become the ole standby to use there whenever our city is mentioned. If they did their homework, for once, they would run a story about WHY there are empty seats at Hawks games instead of overstating the obvious. I have some simple questions for them and anyone who questions why the fans don't show:

-Where were they to wax poetic about Adam Keefe, Keith Edmonson, Al Wood, Don Collins, Doug Edwards, Rumeal Robinson, Ed Gray, Roshown McLeod, Dermarr Johnson, and countless other bums who were being chosen in the first round by this team?

-Where were they to congratulate the Hawks for trading their alltime leading scorer and franchise player for a guy who stated from day 1 that he wasn't going to be part of the program? In a potential championship season, no less?

-Where were they when Alan Henderson, Jon Koncak, and Chris Crawford were being given long-term contract extensions which capped the team out for years?

-Where were they to see the Hawks pass on the likes of Joe Dumars, Larry Nance, Rolando Blackman, Karl Malone, Chris Mullen, Michael Finley, Michael Redd, Fat Lever, Ricky Pierce, and other fellow All-Stars to pick the guys mentioned earlier?

-Where were they to cheer the Hawks when they brought in Ken Norman and Blair Rasmussen, along with their contracts which others teams wouldn't touch with a 20-foot pole?

-Isaiah Rider for Steve Smith. Tim McCormick for Kenny Smith. Spud Webb for Travis Mays.

WHERE WERE THEY THEN?????

I know where WE were. Cheering them on when others ran for the hills.

[Diesel]

I just hope we don't get fleeced.