If the miracle happens...

[thesheedera]

...and we end up with #1 or #2, as well as somewhere in the #11-14 range, what will that do to the franchise as a whole?

Would the Hawks all of the sudden become a highly desirable job for GMs and head coaches around the league, despite the ownership issues? I would think it would, maybe even for some free agents.

What does this do to the ownership battle? The value of the franchise would increase exponentially in my mind, but how would that translate in the buy-out arguments?

Will the legal battle still be raging, or do we expect a resolution by then?

In a perfect world (so I'm expecting the exact opposite), the legal battle would be over, freeing the ownership to do as they wish.

The lottery balls fall our way, and we get #1/2 and #11 or so.

GMs around the league raise an eyebrow at the opportunity to come into a huge market with an affinity for the game to a team with a lot of young, cheap talent and some moveable veteran contracts, and two draft picks that could completely change the future possibilities of the team.

Head coaches around the league see the same thing, and start polishing up their resumes.

The buzz hits the free agents, seeing a team on the rise (for real) in the city they may even call home in the offseason...

If you're gonna dream unrealistically, might as well go all out.

[Wurider05]

The word miracle and the hawks just don't go together. We re a snake bitten franchise. We will have to give our pick to the Suns and probably have to give up the Indiana pick as well. Hey but they are my team so there's a glimmer of hope.

[Sothron]

The legal battle would get worse. Also...I hate to say this but I think its a real possibility after talking to some people...Oden may not hire an agent but enter the draft to test the water. We may be one of the teams he doesn't want to go to. He knows he'll be the #1 pick next year if he stays at Ohio State.

But if we did win and we did get him then the franchise value would increase slightly. Which would make money hungry Belkin that much more determined to win.

[gutz]

Test the water? Oden is already pretty much guaranteed the #1 pick this year. Unless for some reason some team really wants Durant badly. He is GUARANTEED to #2 if somehow Durant goes #1 but there is no one else in this draft that could possibly go before Oden. What is there exactly to test out there if your Oden? That makes no sense. More than likely he is going #1.

[Sothron]

As I said Gutzy in my post Oden is going to see who has the #1 pick. If he doesn't hire an agent he can declare and go back to school if he wants. If a team he doesn't want to play for gets the #1 pick he can just go back to school another year and come out next year. Our ownership situation in Atlanta, along with who our idiot GM and coach are, might scare him off.

[AHF]

Quote:

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As I said Gutzy in my post Oden is going to see who has the #1 pick. If he doesn't hire an agent he can declare and go back to school if he wants. If a team he doesn't want to play for gets the #1 pick he can just go back to school another year and come out next year. Our ownership situation in Atlanta, along with who our idiot GM and coach are, might scare him off.

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When is the deadline to withdraw if you don't hire an agent?

I assume from this post that it is after the lottery.

However, just because you don't hire an agent doesn't mean you necessarily retain your eligibility. The only reason Randolph Morris retained his was because no one selected him even in the second round of the draft.

[DJlaysitup]

Oden will be drafted #1 and be in the NBA next year. If this doesn't happen I will follow Lascar's lead and ban myself.

It is an absolutely done deal.

[gutz]

Honestly I think Oden is dumb as a rock and will not come back to school. I mean he said his class "History of Rock'n Roll" is difficult for him. He is taking cupcake courses right now just to get through the year. I would be shocked if he returned to school. I also don't think the idea of playing with other young talent in JJ, Marvin, Smoove and Chill and in a good sports city like Atlanta, where all atheletes live anyways, would scare him off. I actually think he would want to come to a young team to fit in instead of some veteran team where expectations would be very high on him. This guy is a kid in a man's body but he will not risk failing out of school or an injury to come back to Ohio St. for one more year for no reason when there are millions of dollars waiting for him. Just too risky. He is going #1.

[Gray Mule]

If he "Comes out" for the draft, whether or not he has

an agent, and doesn't withdraw before the draft happens,

he WILL be drafted and that's that. He wouldn't be

elgible to return to school and play.

If, by some miracle, he did work it out to go back to

school and play, he would still be the player drafted

by whoever drafted him and wouldn't be elgible to sign

with another team. (Just my opinion)

He can stick his toe in the water and test it if he wishes.

But, at some point before the draft, he is either in or

out, agent or no agent. I don't know when the time is,

where that line is, but it's there. A player can't put

a team in that position. No mulligan because you don't

like the team that picked you.

A player can demand so much money that signing him is

impossible - and refuse to sigh, but what does that

get him? A bad name, to say the least.

[Sothron]

I'm not saying he isn't coming out. But there is that possibility. ESPN was saying last night he was leaning towards declaring but not signing an agent unless he likes the team that picked him. If not then he is going back to the draft. I have already talked in the past to some Hawks people and they were worried the ownership fight and BK/Woody might scare him away from the Hawks.

I would be shocked if he doesn't come out no matter who has the pick though.

[GST]

I think Oden would have the right to sit out the year and re-enter next year's draft if he chose to do so. But I don't the NCAA is going to allow him to be drafted, and then change his mind and go back to the college game. IIRC, Morris was allowed back in because supposedly some paperwork that was supposed to filed didn't get filed.

[GST]

This is just bad reporting on ESPN's part. Think about it, if what they are proposing was legal, we would see this being done all the time. We don't.

[BeeSwatter]

If he declares but doesn't hire an agent then he can go back to school but the deadline is before the draft. I think the question is that the deadline might be after the draft lottery. ESPN speculated that he might be looking to see who is picking #1 before hiring an agent

[AHF]

Quote:

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I think Oden would have the right to sit out the year and re-enter next year's draft if he chose to do so. But I don't the NCAA is going to allow him to be drafted, and then change his mind and go back to the college game. IIRC, Morris was allowed back in because supposedly some paperwork that was supposed to filed didn't get filed.

---

With Morris the paperwork that was at issue was a letter faxed by Morris to Tubby Smith that said he was not retaining an agent in order to retain his eligibility in case he didn't get selected. It had nothing to do with paperwork for the draft. Had Morris been taken by the Hawks with the second to last pick of the second round, he would not have been eligible to return to Kentucky.

As it was, Morris sat out for half the year because he had contact with agents (but didn't retain one) during the pre-draft process.

[Sothron]

Quote:

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If he declares but doesn't hire an agent then he can go back to school but the deadline is before the draft. I think the question is that the deadline might be after the draft lottery. ESPN speculated that he might be looking to see who is picking #1 before hiring an agent

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That is correct. From what ESPN was saying Oden can see which team will win the lottery and go from there and if he doesn't like the team with #1 pick he'll stay in school.

[GST]

That makes more sense.

[thesheedera]

Quote:

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ESPN was saying last night he was leaning towards declaring but not signing an agent unless he likes the team that picked him. If not then he is going back to the draft.

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I read this as well - Chad Ford I think. It makes sense in theory and is the only way for a #1 pcik to have any control over their future employer, but the thing is that in the following year it's again going to be a lottery situation to see who will pick you, and chances are it will still be a terrible team.

The lack of stability in our ownership is the exact kind of red flag he may want to avoid, while the city and current makup of the team could be viewed as positive things to consider.

Oden's not an idiot and he's serious about school. He was in highschool as well. I would bet my money very confidently on him coming out, but from what I've read I think he honestly wants to stay in school a little longer.

[thesheedera]

Exactly. Timeline:

1 - Date you can declare elgibility

2 - Lottery - 1st and 2nd teams defined for draft

3 - Deadline to withdraw from draft

4 - Draft

If #1 and 2 are not to a player's liking he could pull out before the deadline and wait until the next season. if he hires an agent,. he can't come back no matter what, so he might as well stay in.

It doesn't happen more often because few kids projected as slam dunk #1 or 2 guys have the affinity for college that Oden and Durant are reported to have.

[TheDude]

and Oden would even be stupider than i thought if he didnt come out this year...you are the number one pick you take that advantage...

you don't know whats going to happen next year, he could suffer some major injury or some other guy might jump onto the scene and if Oden performs ok but not speactular he could get jumped.

[AHF]

Quote:

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and Oden would even be stupider than i thought if he didnt come out this year...you are the number one pick you take that advantage...

you don't know whats going to happen next year, he could suffer some major injury or some other guy might jump onto the scene and if Oden performs ok but not speactular he could get jumped.

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A Shaun Livingston-esque injury is the bigger concern, IMO.