BornandDieHawks

Quote: Lets look at the offseason aquisitions so far: -Speedy (who I like)....average NBA starter -Wright..... average/below average starter -Shelden..... hopefully above average starter but obviously the jury is out When I look at these aquisitions I don't see a team that is trying to become a contender. i see a team that is on the fast track to .500. Since we all know BK is not taking any players back for AL, this sums up our offseason.

sports-ML-162044-ML- is this Hawks basketball? no...

Andruw Jones claimed on waivers; 10-5 rights loomBy Buster Olney ESPN The Magazine With Andruw Jones only days away from gaining trade veto power, the All-Star center fielder was claimed on waivers by an unnamed team, leaving the Braves until 1 p.m. ET Saturday to decide whether to take their last opportunity to deal Jones unfettered. Andruw Jones Center Field Atlanta Braves Profile 2006 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R OBP AVG 104 25 93 63 .351 .271 That Jones was placed on waivers is unremarkable; he was one of hundreds of players, including many stars, who were placed on waivers earlier this week. What makes Jones' situation interesting is that on Aug. 15, he will gain 10-and-5 rights -- 10 years in the big leagues, five with the same team -- to block any proposed trade. Multiple teams placed claims on Jones, according to major-league sources. But on Thursday afternoon, one team was awarded a claim on Jones. Now the Braves have two choices -- either work out a trade with the team who placed the claim by Saturday or pull Jones back from waivers. If they pull him back, they cannot trade him again for the rest of this season. Jones' value in the trade market is relatively high right now, because he is a highly productive player locked up for only one more year -- at $13.5 million -- at a time when players like Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee might command $70 million packages on the free-agent market. The Boston Red Sox tried to deal for Jones leading up to the trade deadline, with some intent to try to flip him to the Houston Astros for Roy Oswalt. Some scouts also think that the Los Angeles Angels, who've been looking for a bat, might have high interest in Jones. Atlanta GM John Schuerholz, reached on his cell phone, said Friday afternoon that he would not comment on the team's internal business http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2539544

You have been saying it, but no one wanted to believe it. The other FA Bigs who have started in their career is: Greg Ostertag Ervin Johnson Lorenzen Wright Vin Baker Kelvin Cato Michael Olowokandi He is the most logicial choice

Bernie has went back on his last interview when he stated they were dealing with another team for a "Big"; now he saying they have an verbal agreement with a big. So he has to talking about a FA now. You're right when you break that down to Olowakandi or LW. My hopes are they do not sign them to long term and tie up our CAP with either one of them.

Welcome.....if you want to talk Hawks basketball you are in the right place.

I don't understand their ranking either, but it will be good to see the Hawks move up this year.

Quote: Kawakami: Splashy move still occupies Mullin By Tim Kawakami Mercury News AP archives Warriors executive Chris Mullin could still land forward Al Harrington, right, who could still torpedo a trade to Indiana. Chris Mullin is still fishing for tall talent, long after I would've dumped bait, packed up the gear and headed for the dark halls of air-conditioned sanity. He knows things and makes phone calls I don't. But it's getting late in an NBA off-season that has featured the biggest prizes landing everywhere in the solar system except on the Warriors' roster. It's late. Warriors fans, who have waited 12 years already, are antsy. Mullin's still fishing. Which makes sense. Could Mullin possibly face the Warriors populace come October if he hasn't performed significant surgery to a roster that has proved it can win no more and no fewer than 34 games a season? It's August. So far: Derek Fisher traded, Patrick O'Bryant drafted. Nothing else. ``I think something else will come down the pike,'' Mullin said from his office Wednesday afternoon. ``We've got people that generate interest, no question about that.'' Those people being: Troy Murphy, Andris Biedrins and Mickael Pietrus, among others; any of those guys, Mullin implies, could trigger a secondary round of movement. Does that mean the Warriors are back in the chaotic hunt for Al Harrington, now that Harrington has reportedly fired agent Andy Miller and potentially scotched the pending trade from Atlanta to Indiana that Miller approved? Mullin isn't sure, because he thought he was inching close to acquiring Harrington a while ago, then was rebuffed. But Mullin knows he has a good relationship with Arn Tellem, Harrington's rumored new agent. And Mullin is still wondering why Atlanta bypassed his trade offer of Murphy a few weeks ago in favor of Indiana's salary-cap paperwork. ``I'll be on the phone later today for sure,'' Mullin said. ``But really, the factor becomes Atlanta. That's what everybody's missing. If they want to do a basketball deal, they can do a good deal where we can be as big a player as anybody.'' Mullin says he has talked with Murphy about the possibility of a trade, and that every player should understand the realities of the business -- especially for a team that for 12 years has been in the losing business. ``No, it's not a concern,'' Mullin said of Murphy's name hitting the rumor mill. ``He's been put out there by people respecting his game.'' So how disappointed were you when Harrington seemed to slip through the Warriors' fingers a few weeks ago? ``If I was,'' Mullin said, ``I'm not now.'' Despite his continued intrigue in the young slashing forward, it wasn't Harrington-or-bust a few weeks ago, and it's not now, Mullin insists. There are other options. He didn't mention names of high interest, though forwards Chris Wilcox, Carlos Boozer and Drew Gooden are three that come to my mind. All three, while talented, come with question marks; none is a guaranteed fix for the Warriors' woes. So the fishing continues. Though he has had talks about Jamaal Magloire in the past, Mullin said he wasn't considering a deal for Magloire before Milwaukee traded the veteran center to Portland. When I asked directly, Mullin also said he won't be trading for Allen Iverson, though Mullin conceded he had sketchy talks with the 76ers that led nowhere a few months ago. Iverson didn't make a ton of sense to me: If there's going to be an abrasive, massively talented, compensated and maddening guard on the Warriors' 2006-07 roster, it's going to be Baron Davis and only Baron Davis. No matter what else happens this off-season, Mullin said, the Warriors' fate remains tied to Davis and his fragile body. But Mullin also didn't sound stunned when I mentioned that a series of respected NBA figures have volunteered to me recently that Davis was a franchise blight. I disagreed with the chatter, slightly. But I listened. Davis hears it, too, Mullin said. ``I think he does realize'' how unpopular he has become in many corners, Mullin said of Davis. ``But I would say how quick that can change and how good it feels when you change it.'' Davis has something to prove this season, Mullin said. But so do the rest of his teammates. So does Coach Mike Montgomery. So does Mullin. Absolutely, Mullin, preferably with an impact trade. And Mullin predicts that he can make it happen fairly soon. Soon? When? ``Now,'' Mullin said. ``This afternoon. Tomorrow . . .'' That's a promise or a hope or an expectation. But for frenzied Warriors fans, it's something to keep you going. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...rs/15185950.htm You would think Mullin was trying to trade kevin Garrett or something to us. I can tell you why we bypassed your offer. "We do not want Murphy." You need to come with a better deal and not one to rid yourself of that crazy contract you initiated.

Quote: Quote: I don't see him going anywhere no time soon. He has a long way to go to get up there with the Stephen A.'s of the world. Yes he would have to do way less work, act way more stupid, yell a lot, and not have all the facts to get to Stephen A's level. lol...You're right, but all the exposure Stephen A gets he still writes for the Philly paper so Sekou probably will stay with the AJC.

That would be a pretty big step to pay for a player who was an underachiever in LA and had only a good second half with Seattle. Indy knows what AL can do and Wilcox would be somewhat a prospect.

Quote: Quote: Yeah teke - I think AL alongside some inside muscle (like JO) will work out pretty well for Indy. Mostly we keep hearing Al s#cks!..Al s#cks! But I think a lot of that is from posters who want Al's minutes for their favorite players and aren't objective. oh Al doesn't suck, he just needs to be utilized properly in the correct system. I do a lot of traveling around the country and only the people here in Atlanta was so critical of AL. Most blame his inept at defense as the reason to get rid of him. I feel a move to the 3 and not being the primary scoring option Al will play better defense. Nique didn't play much defense either because he was our primary go to guy on offense. I do support trading AL because of MW process, plus AL is the only one on the team who have true trading value. (Besides JJ) I want this deal to go through but I support BK for playing hardball with the Pacers to get better value and now he might even get a better deal if more teams come to the table.

I don't see him going anywhere no time soon. He has a long way to go to get up there with the Stephen A.'s of the world.

agreed

Quote: Bernie should have kept his bloody mouth closed if he is talking about LW. To get people's hopes up and deliver LW is terrible. I would be a little disappointed too. Not to take anything away from LW, I was hoping for a little more of an impact player; my hopes went to Portland.

Quote: 3) After the trade with Indiana, the Hawks have something in the wings for another big man who is available from another team. Bernie said the big man isn't Shaq but he is a player the fans will recognize and will say "that guy is a good player." He intimated the player had some success in the league over the past "3, 4, 5 years." During his radio appearance last week Bernie stated the fans should recognized this mystery big man. L. Wright fits into that catogery because he played here before so the fans would know him and he has had a somewhat decent three years in Memphis. There has been no word what so ever of anyone trying to get him. Could it be that Atlanta already has a deal in place and is waiting on the AL deal to go through before they announce it? What are your thoughts on this?

I really don't think this is the trade. We all know BK keep his plans close to his chest but Kupchak can not hold water out there in LA. I think the LA papers who have picked up on this trade and broadcast it all over the place by now.

'WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO' Q and A: Hawks' Joe Johnson By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 07/30/06 Hawks captain Joe Johnson has seen his life and career take dramatic turns in the past year. He went from a complementary player on a championship-caliber club in Phoenix to the focal point of a rebuilding team in Atlanta, for a hefty $70 million in a sign-and-trade deal that could come to define this Hawks era. Johnson is weeks away from playing for Team USA in the World Championship in Japan and a couple months from the start of his second season leading the Hawks. He sat down with staff writer Sekou Smith after practice at the national team training camp in Las Vegas and reflected on his first season with the Hawks, the future of the franchise and more. PAUL CONNORS / Associated Press (ENLARGE) Joe Johnson says he'll be 'ready to go' for Hawks training camp after playing for the U.S. in the World Championships later this summer. Q: Your season has been done for a while. Have you had a chance to think about what happened? Any regrets, mistakes? A: Me coming in here last season, basically taking on a role I'd never been in before, was a bit of shock. It was for me, just like I know it was for Zaza [Pachulia] and just about everybody else. We got off to a rough start because we really didn't know our roles. And then we lost Jason [Collier] days into training camp and the whole thing just flew off the track. We were scrambling after that, emotionally and every way else. It could have happened to any group of guys in the same position. It just so happened to be us. And it was obvious that we all struggled at the start. I have to give Coach [Mike] Woodson a lot of credit for keeping this thing together the way he did, because last season could have been a total disaster. But he refused to let us slip away. Q: Are you confident the roller coaster that was your 26-56 season has cured whatever early-season ills plagued this team? A: This year, I've got a whole new approach and there's no way we start 2-16 or 2-21 or whatever. Last year, we had some stretches where we looked good. And some stretches where we looked [bad]. But we were a young team, with guys playing in roles for the first time in their careers. But you've got to take the bitter with the sweet. And guys have to come back ready to go, hungry. And I mean from the first day of practice. Q: You're a returning captain, the only one if Al Harrington's sign-and-trade deal ever gets done. Have you communicated with the rest of your guys what you just told us? A: I've talked to just about every single guy on the team at one point or another this summer. I talk to Josh [smith] all the time. He's been working hard. He's ready. I think he's going to take a giant step this season. And Marvin [Williams], he's like a little brother to me. He's working hard. All these guys, we know what we need to do. We know we have to be ready to go. There's no more time to waste. Not being in the playoffs this year and watching other teams play made me realize that. None of this is guaranteed. One year you're in the Western Conference finals thinking this could go on forever, and the next year you're at the house watching. I hate watching. Q: Speedy Claxton, Shelden Williams and Solomon Jones have been added so far. Is that enough to push this team into contention for a playoff spot? A: I think those guys are definitely going to help us. But I wouldn't say that alone is going to turn it around, although it could and hopefully it does. But I still think we need another big body down there. We're a "big" away from where we should be. We need another big guy to keep Zaza and Shelden and Solomon, and really Josh and Marvin as well, from having to shoulder more of a responsibility down there than is necessary. We've all got to keep working. And management has to keep looking around at what's out there to see if there's someone that fits the needs we have and can come in here and make an impact. Q: It sounds like you think the Hawks are a bit closer to returning to the playoffs than many critics. Is it as simple as another player or two or is there a cultural change that has to take place for an organization that hasn't been to the postseason in seven years? A: The main thing this season, us being the Atlanta Hawks, we've got to work harder than everybody else. Last year, we had a tendency to be too cool. We'd go out there and let people jump out on us and then we wanted to pick it up. Sometimes we'd come back and sometimes we wouldn't. But we've got to change that about ourselves. We've got to be more aggressive. We've got to be one of most aggressive teams in the league. Coach Woodson talked about it all the time and I don't think some of these guys understood where he was coming from when he said that. And that was our fault. Because what he's saying is exactly right. It's not good enough to be here. You've got to want to work to be one of the best once you reach this point in your career. Q: Speaking of being here, this U.S. national team experience is a new one for you. You've spoken at length about how excited you are to be here but are you worried at all about the toll the competition could take on your body? A: Man, I'm not worried at all. This is what I do. I'm always playing ball, whether I was doing it for the national team or doing in my mama's driveway or doing it in my sleep. This is what I love to do. And I've worked hard to get in the best shape possible, so my body will be fine. I've taken care of myself and it's not like any of us are going to be playing 40 minutes a night in the tournament. Nobody needs to worry about me. I'll be ready to go when training camp starts. http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/index.html

He holds all the cards in this situation. He has enough endorsement money live good without playing a down. New Orleans can not afford to keep a pick that high off the field because they need as much fan support as possible.

Quote: (3) After the trade with Indiana, the Hawks have something in the wings for another big man who is available from another team. Bernie said the big man isn't Shaq but he is a player the fans will recognize and will say "that guy is a good player." He intimated the player had some success in the league over the past "3, 4, 5 years." This is the key to the interview on who we are after...With all respect to Mihm or Heywood, they wouldn't be recognize as having a good player over the past 5 years, it has to be Mags. I know one thing I am smiling a little harder now knowing BK has another plan in the works for a BIG besides the SNT for AL and to top it off he is getting Edwards off the payroll.

Thanks....Good information. At least Bernie let us know that all the proposed rumors for AL that our staff felt they were overpaid and underachieving.

Quote: 3 million dollars... Wow, you would think Indy would go and pay that. They are basically getting Harrington for 3 million. I have to believe there is more to it than 3 million. I can not believe we would trade our most valuable trade assest in several years for just that amount of money and a draft pick.

Updated: July 28, 2006, 3:32 AM ET Hawks have stipulations, but Harrington deal still likelyBy Marc Stein ESPN.com Archive Although it remains unclear how much longer the Indiana Pacers will have to wait to complete their widely anticipated re-acquisition of Al Harrington, sources close to the situation maintain that the sign-and-trade swap will go through. The Atlanta Hawks, however, have apparently established three prerequisites before signing and trading Harrington back to the team that drafted him in 1998. The Hawks, according to sources, want the Pacers to part with a future first-round pick, absorb the contract of third-year center John Edwards and kick in $3 million in cash considerations, which is the maximum amount any team can add to a trade. It's believed that the Pacers want to either scale back the quality of the draft pick or reduce the cash contribution. This delay, though, hasn't changed the leaguewide perception that Harrington's return to Indiana is an inevitability. He might technically be the biggest name left on the NBA's free-agent market, but teams don't seem to regard him as available. Industry sources say no one else but the Pacers are presently chasing Harrington. If the Pacers and Hawks reach a resolution, as expected, Atlanta would then sign Harrington to a six-year contract worth nearly $57 million and send him to Indiana. Separate trade exceptions to add Harrington and Edwards to their payroll, without shipping any players to the Hawks, would then enable the Pacers to complete the exchange. The Pacers are reserving their biggest trade exception, created in the sign-and-trade earlier this month that sent Peja Stojakovic to New Orleans/Oklahoma City, for Harrington. That exception is worth $7.5 million and allows the Pacers to tack on $100,000 and start Harrington's new contract at $7.6 million. The second exception, created by the recent trade of point guard Anthony Johnson to Dallas, is worth more than $2.6 million and can thus absorb Edwards' $1.08 million salary for next season. If the Hawks were to secure everything they seek in this deal, they'd essentially be getting a first-rounder and $4 million for Harrington once Edwards' salary is removed from their payroll. Sources say that Atlanta's teetering ownership group, in the midst of a legal battle with former partner Steve Belkin to keep control of the club, prefers a cash infusion to the idea of taking back a player or two from Indiana's roster (such as center Jeff Foster) or a more expensive veteran. Golden State, for example, offered power forward Troy Murphy to the Hawks in a sign-and-trade that would have netted Harrington something closer to the six-year, $66 million contract he was seeking. But Murphy, who averaged a double-double in his past three full seasons, has nearly $51 million left on his contract over the next five years. The Warriors, according to sources, pulled out of the Harrington Sweepstakes late last week, conceding that the versatile forward was heading back to the Pacers. Golden State ceased its pursuit when it became clear Harrington was indeed prepared to start his new deal in the $7.5 million range. If Harrington were still intent on making more than that in the first year of his forthcoming contract, Indiana couldn't use the trade exception to land him and couldn't otherwise trade for him unless the Hawks were willing to take back a package featuring Foster and a teammate or two. The $7.5 million trade exception thus looms as one of the most valuable assets of the offseason. It initially looked as though the Pacers would lose Stojakovic without compensation, but a payment to the Hornets believed to be in the $250,000 range -- coupled with the Hornets' knowledge that they'd likely be keeping Harrington away from a fellow West playoff hopeful like Golden State or the Los Angeles Lakers -- turned the Stojakovic deal from an outright free-agent signing into a sign-and-trade that created the trade exception. In the unlikely event that the deal with the Hawks collapses, it's difficult to forecast where Harrington will turn. Most teams have completed their significant free-agent business for the summer and Harrington's other top suitors have stopped pursuing him, believing that the Pacers have him wrapped up. The Warriors, Lakers and New York Knicks, furthermore, don't have a sizable trade exception to complete the sort of trade Atlanta's owners prefer, in which the Hawks don't have to take back significant salary. The Pacers are hoping that the increasingly fast pace in today's NBA will permit Harrington -- a 6-foot-9, 245-pound swingman -- to play plenty of power forward in an athletic frontcourt setup alongside Jermaine O'Neal and Danny Granger. Acquiring Harrington is doubly crucial because he'd ease the burden on Granger when it comes to replacing Ron Artest. When Stojakovic gave the Hornets a verbal commitment to sign with them mere hours into free agency on July 1, Indiana faced the very real threat of having nothing to show for January's trade of Artest to Sacramento. It's believed that the Pacers did also explore the idea of making a sign-and-trade run at Indiana native Bonzi Wells earlier this summer, but Harrington was always their first choice. Wells, looking for a new team after Sacramento signed John Salmons earlier this week, would supplant Harrington as the best player left on the NBA's open market once Harrington-to-Indiana is consummated. "Obviously, Indiana, I'm more comfortable there because I've been there, I've been in the East," Harrington told ESPN.com earlier this month at the Vegas Summer League, making it clear then that he expected to wind up with either the Pacers or the Warriors. "Going into free agency, obviously you think, 'I'm going to be at the bottom of the screen [on ESPN's Bottom Line ticker] like Ben Wallace and the rest of the guys.' But everyone's telling me to be patient, so that's what I'm trying to do." Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also SeePacers close to acquiring Harrington from Hawks The Indiana Pacers and ... http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=2532200

Sturt, I didn't take your comments to be critial at all, but I am not assuming this is what's going to happen. I just read a couple of articles on AI and figured I would see what other squawkers think about this theory. Really I am on the same page with KB on AI coming to Atlanta. The one thing that is positive about the AI rumors is a major superstar wants to come to Atlanta. As hawks fans, we know it been hard to find a star who want to come to the Hawks.

Quote: Quote: Quote: The next two months will be crucial ones for King. The heat of a potential Iverson trade has cooled, as King has said thanks but no thanks to the likes of Wally Szczerbiak, Andre Miller and Kenyon Martin. Atlanta's ownership situation continues to make a trade with the Hawks problematic; while at least one Hawks owner is pushing hard to acquire Iverson, others aren't as enthusiastic. Quote: By Joe Juliano Inquirer Staff Writer BOWIE, Md. - Allen Iverson showed up for his annual celebrity softball game wearing his customary No. 3, although the number was on the throwback Atlanta Braves jersey of Dale Murphy. Atlanta? Was there anything to be read into Iverson's choice of uniform? "I don't know," Iverson said last night, before joining rapper Nelly and a celebrity roster to play before a capacity crowd at Prince George's Stadium. "God works in mysterious ways so whatever happens, happens." The Atlanta Hawks are among the list of teams rumored to be interested in Iverson if the 76ers elect to trade him, as are the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and others. Fans at the softball game, which raises money for underprivileged children, told Iverson they loved him, whatever happens. "Just people saying they're fans forever ... and if I change teams or whatever, that's the team they're going to root for. That just makes me feel good," he said. "But, hopefully, nothing like that happens." Iverson even talked basketball. "We were in a lot of games, but then at the end, we couldn't stop anybody," he said. "Me and Chris [Webber] did a lot of scoring and our team did a lot of scoring, but we couldn't stop anybody. That's how you win championships, getting stops. "And I think we've got to get a lot more from our bench. We had the worst scoring average [in the NBA] coming off the bench, so we've got to get somebody to give us another Could Belkin have made it a condition not to challenge the judge's ruling that BK make a deal he wants to happen? http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/15047156.htm http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/15050165.htm I'm not really understanding the logic. First, the franchise could just as easily lose value by remaining under the original restrictions, and I can't believe that that was lost on Belkin. Second, why is it automatically Belkin who wants AI? And third, what does BK have to gain in that scenario, if he truly doesn't want AI himself? He's spent all of this time building a team as he envisioned it, only to make a bargain that means he has to blow it up? Why not just stand pat and wait it out... that would be the better option. So, no, I don't see that at all. Belkin was the one who came out in the media and stated he wanted to go after AI. BK doesn't have anything to gain but the court's ruling could have put Atlanta in bad shape for not only this off season but for at least a year or two down the line. Plus, I believe a third party (Stern) came in and made all parties could up with a solution which would keep the Hawks on the same playing field as the rest of the league. I am not advocating this deal at all, but what I should have asked is could this be the reason this SNT is taking so long?

Quote: The next two months will be crucial ones for King. The heat of a potential Iverson trade has cooled, as King has said thanks but no thanks to the likes of Wally Szczerbiak, Andre Miller and Kenyon Martin. Atlanta's ownership situation continues to make a trade with the Hawks problematic; while at least one Hawks owner is pushing hard to acquire Iverson, others aren't as enthusiastic. Quote: By Joe Juliano Inquirer Staff Writer BOWIE, Md. - Allen Iverson showed up for his annual celebrity softball game wearing his customary No. 3, although the number was on the throwback Atlanta Braves jersey of Dale Murphy. Atlanta? Was there anything to be read into Iverson's choice of uniform? "I don't know," Iverson said last night, before joining rapper Nelly and a celebrity roster to play before a capacity crowd at Prince George's Stadium. "God works in mysterious ways so whatever happens, happens." The Atlanta Hawks are among the list of teams rumored to be interested in Iverson if the 76ers elect to trade him, as are the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and others. Fans at the softball game, which raises money for underprivileged children, told Iverson they loved him, whatever happens. "Just people saying they're fans forever ... and if I change teams or whatever, that's the team they're going to root for. That just makes me feel good," he said. "But, hopefully, nothing like that happens." Iverson even talked basketball. "We were in a lot of games, but then at the end, we couldn't stop anybody," he said. "Me and Chris [Webber] did a lot of scoring and our team did a lot of scoring, but we couldn't stop anybody. That's how you win championships, getting stops. "And I think we've got to get a lot more from our bench. We had the worst scoring average [in the NBA] coming off the bench, so we've got to get somebody to give us another Could Belkin have made it a condition not to challenge the judge's ruling that BK make a deal he wants to happen? http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/15047156.htm http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/15050165.htm