Just for Clarity... Why the Hawks are Hamstrung...

[Diesel]

Montgomery County (Md.) Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson ruled the current ownership and management team should retain control while the appeals are heard. But the good news for the Atlanta Spirit group also included the judge's stipulation that will prevent the Hawks or Thrashers from signing a free agent to a contract longer than one year.

The stipulation doesn't relate to negotiations with draft picks for either team.

The ruling also doesn't affect any negotiations already under way, including the Hawks' agreement to sign free agent point guard Speedy Claxton. The deal, believed to be for four years, cannot be officially announced before Wednesday.

Atlanta-based Michael Gearon Jr. of the Atlanta Spirit ownership group applauded the ruling.

"This is exactly what we always expected," Gearon told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "It's hard for people who are looking at it from outside to understand all that has happened, but we expected to get a stay and are more confident than ever we will win on appeal."

The judge ordered that the other owners can't "initiate the purchase, sale, trade or negotiation of any NBA or NHL player contract ... excluding contracts involving present or future draft picks and contracts for any other player with a contract duration of one year or less."

The ruling would appear to put the Hawks and Thrashers at a significant competitive disadvantage in their ability to attract free agents.

Belkin, however, said he was "extremely confident in our ability to get the players we need."

The judge also ordered the owners to post an appeal bond of $11.4 million to protect Belkin against any decrease in the value of the franchises during the appeal. Belkin requested a much larger bond of up to $450 million.

Johnson ruled last month the ownership group did not abide by the terms of an agreement to buy out Belkin. The judge said the group's actions triggered Belkin's right to buy them out.

With Thursday's stay by the judge, his ruling last month is on hold until the appeal is heard by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

[Sothron]

That was changed by the judge into contracts no longer than 4 years, Diesel.

[Diesel]

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The Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday were given significant added flexibility in their ability to negotiate trades and free-agent acquisitions.

The Maryland judge who last week ruled the teams could not begin negotiations to sign a free agent to a deal longer than one year on Tuesday changed that maximum contract to four years.

It was not known what prompted the new ruling Tuesday from Montgomery County (Md.) Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson.

Johnson also stipulated Tuesday that

the Hawks and Thrashers could not sign players to contracts that would put the teams above the league's respective salary caps.

Hawks and Thrashers president Bernie Mullin applauded the ruling.

"We now have the needed flexibility to be able to enter into player transactions for both teams," Mullin said Tuesday, added Hawks general manager Billy Knight and Thrashers general manager Don Waddell "are aware of the modification and have expressed confidence in our ability to initiate and pursue the kinds of deals that will continue to improve our clubs."

Even before Tuesday's ruling, the Hawks and Thrashers were fairly confident they could put together rosters as planned for the coming year. The Hawks already had initiated negotiations with free agent point guard Speedy Claxton, and the team is expected to announce Wednesday that Claxton has been signed to a four-year deal. That was planned before Johnson's ruling.

Similarly, the Thrashers already have completed at least most of their free-agent roster maneuvering.

However, before Tuesday's ruling,

the Hawks likely would have had difficulty negotiating a sign-and-trade deal involving free agent forward Al Harrington. It would have been a significant blow to the team to lose Harrington to free agency without receiving any compensation.

Johnson's ruling Tuesday specified that the

Hawks can enter a sign-and-trade deal that would bring the team a new contract of up to four years.

Last month Johnson ruled Boston businessman Steve Belkin is entitled to buy the Hawks and Thrashers from his former co-owners. The judge has said the current ownership and management team should retain control while the appeals are heard.

With Tuesday's ruling, now any free-agent signing of more than four years during the appeal must be approved by Belkin.

The judge has ordered the current owners to post an appeal bond of $11.4 million to protect Belkin against any decrease in the value of the franchises during the appeal. Johnson said Tuesday the bond must be paid by July 20.

Johnson ruled last month the ownership group did not abide by the terms of an agreement to buy out Belkin. The judge said the group's actions triggered Belkin's right to buy them out.

The appeal of last month's ruling could last a year or longer.

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[Diesel]

We could not sign Al for over 6 years. Any new contract would have to be only 4 years. INDY used that knowledge to say "there's no way that Atlanta Owners can offer Al more than 4 years, and they are not trying to take back any salary so why should we offer Al more than 4 years."

[Lascar78]

indy wasn't competing with us, they were competing with what other teams would offer for Al. We shut the door on resigning Al when we drafted Shelden, long before this ruling.

[Diesel]

Well normally, having the ability to re-sign your free agent is a good safety valve in case a team is trying to screw you in a SNT. The idea is to re-sign your free agent and deal him later in the season. The reason why that's a good safety valve is that it takes the power away from the free agent as to what team he would like to go to and gives all the power to the team that signs him.

If we had the ability to take on Al's salary, you can't convince me that we wouldn't take his salary... bring Shelden on a little slower and move AL before the deadline. It gives the Hawks the advantage because they are not trading an ending contract, they are trading a player who is not a rental.

[DrReality]

Most of the guys on this board have over-valued Al by a whole bunch. In truth, his value is somewhere between what we fantasized we could get and what the deal actually was.

[Diesel]

Name one PF/Sf who brings everything that Al brings to the table who are in the second contract... around 26 years old... and doesn't have an attitude problem.... but makes the same or less than Al is about to take?

Going into the off season, it was expected that Al would command a 10 million dollar a year salary and was worth it. BK said himself that Al would get much more than 10 million per.

3 bad things happened.

1. We loss the want to take back salaries.

2. Denver, NO, and Chicago made quick moves.

3. Isiah had the checkbook taken from him in NY.

Al found the perfect Storm of FAcy and now he has to settle.

[Lascar78]

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BK said himself that Al would get much more than 10 million per.

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Show me a quote. There is no way BK stated a figure on what Al would get, that would be idiotic. Stop making stuff up.

[exodus]

Quote:

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Stop making stuff up.

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yeah that'll happen.

Starting your drinking a little early, especially for a tuesday.

[Iman]

Yup, Al definitely did not break the bank like many similar skilled players have. However, the two players most similar to him that I can think of are Shareef and Antoine Walker. Both did have big contracts but now I believe both are paid less than Al. I'd personally rather have either, especially Shareef, if the salaries were all the same.

[Diesel]

Both are older (31)... I think that's the same kind of contract Al will see in 3 years...

Walsh got him good.