Breakfast with Bernie 7.07.06

[AHF]

Bernie Mullins stated this morning that the Hawks read the judge's ruling so that they could:

(1) sign their own free agents to multi-year deals;

(2) give their own players under contract multi-year extensions;

(3) sign draft picks to multiyear deals;

and

(4) complete any contracts already in the works which he basically said just referred to Speedy.

Notably, he said they read the Judge's order as prohibiting them from S&T Al Harrington and said that it was hurting both the team and Harrington.

He did say the team could resign Al if they chose, but didn't really indicate that is where they were leaning.

One of the most interesting pieces to me is that Bernie did say they were negotiating to bring David Anderson over. He said they could sign him to a multi-year deal since he was their own free agent and that they were looking to sign him. He mentioned Anderson among the bigs for next year.

[Diesel]

If there is any want to get anything from Al, it might be that we may have to resign him just so that we can trade him later?

I think however, that the multiyear deal was probably stated about Este though?

[chillzatl]

If they are capable of resigning their own free agents to multi-year deals, then you would think they could sign Al to a deal and then trade him. Because at that point, the salary is on the books. THey are just swapping that salary with another team for different players.

[Final_quest]

There is a silver lining. This is the first time I've heard us being serious about David Andersen.

Why not sign Al at this point? He has no bargaining power to get a deal above the MLE, unless Toronto or Charlotte want to pony up. Both of those teams are unlikely to sign him given their drafts and team situations.

[AHF]

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I think however, that the multiyear deal was probably stated about Este though?

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I am not sure what you mean by this. If you are talking about the comment about David Anderson he was described as a big man from Australia who has played his career in Europe and is a big man who can get you some rebounds, block a few shots and shoot a pretty good jumper. Mullins described him as being much better than Luke Schensher but refused to compare him to John Edwards.

[Final_quest]

I agree chillz. It would seem they would be able to sign and trade Harrington, but I have to go with Bernie on this one. If he says they can't do it, obviously they can't.

[sturt]

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If they are capable of resigning their own free agents to multi-year deals, then you would think they could sign Al to a deal and then trade him. Because at that point, the salary is on the books. THey are just swapping that salary with another team for different players.

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Exactly.

[AHF]

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If they are capable of resigning their own free agents to multi-year deals, then you would think they could sign Al to a deal and then trade him. Because at that point, the salary is on the books. THey are just swapping that salary with another team for different players.

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Exactly.

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They are forbidden under the Judge's order from trading for players who aren't currently with the team (and they interpret Al to be with the team - Belkin would probably differ) and who have muliyear deals. It doensn't matter who they trade for such a player. As far as I can tell, they would be prohibited from trading Joe Johnson for someone with a two year deal - for example.

[twentythree]

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One of the most interesting pieces to me is that Bernie did say they were negotiating to bring David Anderson over. He said they could sign him to a multi-year deal since he was their own free agent and that they were looking to sign him. He mentioned Anderson among the bigs for next year.

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I think we cannot bring David Andersen since he's one of the biggest stars in Europe. He has a salary of almost 2 million dollars plus bonuses like house, car, etc.

He is a second round draft pick, so we can pay a maximum amount of something like 700,000 (if i'm wrong, please someone correct me). If you include tax differences, it makes really hard to attract him.

An unnecessary correction: his name is David Andersen, not Anderson.

[CBAreject]

I thought he played in Australia.

[TheDude]

i still say trade al for one year contract and draft pick..

magloire maybe but that would give us an abudnance of big men if you count andersen.

[ATLBob]

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I thought he played in Australia.

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Nope, Russia.

[Lascar78]

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I thought he played in Australia.

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australian guy playing for moscow

[ATLien_]

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They are forbidden under the Judge's order from trading for players who aren't currently with the team (and they interpret Al to be with the team - Belkin would probably differ) and who have muliyear deals.

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Actually the team is not forbidden from making trades, but Belkin has to also approve the trade. The president of the spirit group came on after Bernie and said that. Now rather Belkin would actually sign off on a deal, I don't know, but we can still make moves if he approves.

[frosgrim]

It was strange and unclear when I was listening to Bernie about the SnT. It sounded like the Spirit group was unclear on the SnT possibility, but at other times he made it sound like we couldn't do it.

I don't think the ruling will stand up to further review as it effects other teams in the leagues as well. Hence, the judge has placed an unfair operating restriction on both the NBA and NHL. Just my take on this whole thing.

[AHF]

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They are forbidden under the Judge's order from trading for players who aren't currently with the team (and they interpret Al to be with the team - Belkin would probably differ) and who have muliyear deals.

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Actually the team is not forbidden from making trades, but Belkin has to also approve the trade. The president of the spirit group came on after Bernie and said that. Now rather Belkin would actually sign off on a deal, I don't know, but we can still make moves if he approves.

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Thanks!

[Yeti]

David Anderson: "Grew up playing at the Australian Institute of Sports-AIS (Australia)…signed for the 1998-99 season by Wollongong Hawks, in the Australian NBL League...moved to Italy for the 1999-00 season signed by Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna...he’s still playing there…selected in the 2002 NBA Draft by Atlanta Hawks (#37)…played there till the 2002-03 championship…signed for the 2003-04 season by Mens Sana Basket Siena…moved to Russia for the 2004-05 season, signed by CSKA Moscow…he’s still playing there."

But his nationality is listed as Denmark on the Euroleague site. Don't know the story - maybe he was born there.

Was all-Euroleague in 2005, 2nd in MVP voting. This year he broke his leg in January and missed the rest of the season - but his Russian team won the championship anyway. (Although the coach said they had built the team around Andersen.)

You can get more info at his website:

www.davidandersen.com.au

[twentythree]

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He is a second round draft pick, so we can pay a maximum amount of something like 700,000 (if i'm wrong, please someone correct me). If you include tax differences, it makes really hard to attract him.

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Well no. It is true that first-round draft picks have a set contract scale but that is untrue for second round picks. Second rounders aren't restricted by this, so actually we could give him a Max contract if we wanted. I think you are referring to the amount of money we can spend on a buy-out of his contract over-seas. That I think is something like less than $1 million we area allowed to spend for the buy-out of the contract.

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Well I know that the new CBA limits the buy-out spending with 500,000 dollars. I wasn't talking about that. I think Andersen's contract is finished with CSKA Moscow last month.

So let me ask a new question. You are saying that 1st rounders have a contract scale and second rounders don't. So, can we pay Solomon more than Shelden?

I couldn't find it anywhere but I remember something like maximum 650-700,000 dollars can be paid for 2nd rounders.

[Nicholasp27]

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Bernie Mullins stated this morning that the Hawks read the judge's ruling so that they could:

(1) sign their own free agents to multi-year deals;

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if they can sign al to a multi-year deal, why can't they sign-and-trade him for a equal or shorter length deal?

[AHF]

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Bernie Mullins stated this morning that the Hawks read the judge's ruling so that they could:

(1) sign their own free agents to multi-year deals;

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if they can sign al to a multi-year deal, why can't they sign-and-trade him for a equal or shorter length deal?

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Because the rules prohibit them from acquiring someone new with a multi-year deal.

We could offer David Anderson max money for the next 5 years, for example, but can't sign someone to a minimum two year deal. It doesn't have to make sense but those are the rules.

It is unclear to me whether they can actually sign Al to a multiyear deal and keep him. That is what Bernie intimated but the language of the restriction doesn't make that clear to me.