Billy Knight gets multiyear extension.......

[emeans]

http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/ha...04/06hawks.html

Hawks give GM Knight multiyear extension

By JOHN MANASSO

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

Published on: 10/5/04

Hawks general manager Billy Knight received a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract extension, which is at least three years, a person familiar with the negotiations said, ensuring that Knight will be around to see through the reclamation project he began last season.

Knight, who began the job on an interim basis in April 2003 when Pete Babcock was fired after 13 years, has spent only one full season as general manager. The Hawks went 28-54 last season with players mostly inherited from Babcock's tenure.

Knight's signature moves include the hiring of coach Mike Woodson, an assistant under Larry Brown with last season's NBA champion Detroit Pistons. He's also made a multitude of trades, particularly the ones for Al Harrington and Antoine Walker, signings and draft picks that brought in 11 new players. The trades also will give the Hawks at least $20 million under the salary cap after this season.

While his tenure has been short, Knight is viewed as a rising star in the league and the Hawks were contacted by several teams for permission to speak with Knight about hiring him away. Knight's contract was set to expire at the end of the season.

"I think people throughout the league have been very impressed with Billy," said Steve Belkin, one of ownership group Atlanta Spirit's five board of managers. Belkin sits also on the NBA's board of governors. "First of all, the draft choices he made when he was over at Memphis [including Shane Battier and former rookie of the year Pau Gasol] and people have been impressed with how he handled our salary situation and gave us more room under the cap."

Belkin was asked to respond to how critics might point out that it's one thing to take a team apart but another to post a winning season.

"I think he's put the pieces together," said Belkin, who declined to comment on the contract's number of years or dollars. "One piece was the coaching staff. To hire someone like Mike Woodson and hire someone like [former Pistons assistant] Herb Brown and someone like [former Pistons assistant] Larry Drew. We have a staff that knows how to win championships.

"[Knight] has shifted the culture. He's created a winning-attitude culture. We don't have any players who will be problems. Billy's character criteria for players is very high."

Knight confirmed that other teams wanted to speak with him and agreed that the contract means he wanted to stay in Atlanta.

"It's very true," he said. "I like Atlanta. I like the city. I like the people. I like the organization and these owners have allowed me great latitude over the restructuring of the organization. Everything over the team, they've allowed me to do that.

"Whether I have a one-year contract or a 10-year contract, I'm still going to do what I think is best to help our team. I certainly appreciate that the ownership and [Atlanta Spirit CEO] Bernie Mullin have shown a lot of confidence in me in what I've done thus far and what I can do in the future. That is a good feeling."