Latest information (short)

[Sothron]

This was a very brief message.

There was no Belkin veto. Every possible trade will be done to always prevent him from vetoing a trade. However the other remaining Spirit owners still have to reach a majority decision to make a trade happen under the judge's orders. The ownership squabblng being reported is based purely on the two owners who are really pushing for Yi due to their own private business ventures they are trying to establish or broaden in China. Said if those two owners convince enough to pass on a deal to Amare that this would be a black day for Hawks fans and the franchise itself.

This should not keep a deal from happening (as far as he knows and he used those exact words). Amare trade is very much alive. Atlanta is willing to help KG get to Phoenix but is also willing to trade picks straight up to Suns for Amare. There was some kind of trade kicker problem with KG's contract on Phoenix's end last night. They are trying to get the contracts to work under the cap and to avoid Phoenix paying luxury tax and Atlanta needing deal to be officially completed on July 1st to avoid a Belkin veto and to not exceed salary cap.

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No confirmation on anything else. No mention of Gasol/Calderon or how likely any of this is to happen. I also was told not to expect another update before the draft.

Hope that helps although frankly it scares me more than anything else that we may have Spirit owners more concerned with chasing widgets in China that putting a good team on the court...

[Packfill]

If true, that pretty much confirms that the Hawks have the absolute worst ownership situation in professional sports history.

Sad.

[WraithSentinel]

I am going to just go into this draft believing whoever we pick we are keeping. This whole Amare trade is just not going to happen. We won't be drafting for anyone. I am not even sure how that would work. This whole Amare deal is dead to me. It was fun but time to move on.

[volman]

Well, a little ray of hope.

The trade is still alive......let's hope this gets done!!

[troubleman]

If that is true, this ownership situation is making it very difficult for me to continue to invest my hard earned money in the Hawks. Yeah, I'll still watch them on TV, but I don't think I'll be spending any money at Phillips Arena until this thing is resolved.

[DavidSomerset]

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Hope that helps although frankly it scares me more than anything else that we may have Spirit owners more concerned with chasing widgets in China that putting a good team on the court...

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Yea, that really pisses me off, if true.

[capstone21]

Well no matter what I do not want Yi now. If we don't make a trade for a star player then I hope we draft Horford.

Selfish owners are not thinking about the team just themselves and their other ventures. What a mess this organization is.

[AnnArborHawk]

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The ownership squabblng being reported is based purely on the two owners who are really pushing for Yi due to their own private business ventures they are trying to establish or broaden in China. Said if those two owners convince enough to pass on a deal to Amare that this would be a black day for Hawks fans and the franchise itself.

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Thanks for the update. I'm sick over having re-upped my season tickets yet again and having poured more money into these morons' pockets.

[txsting]

So it sounds as though, at any rate, Phoenix is an active participant in talks? If that's true then you still have to think there is a chance. I maintain some hope that the Amare deal will go down but I won't be crushed if it doesn't. I still think a Yi and PG draft would be very good as the "worst case scenario".

If Yi really strengthens our owners in the pocketbook, that's not totally a bad thing. There is one benefit to the multiple owner scenario, and that's if a bunch of semi-rich guys keep getting richer. That could potentially allow serious money to be spent on the franchise. I just want to see the decision making arrangement fixed. I thought I read that we operate decision making based on simple majority, and we had an odd number of votes, so it seems that we could avoid deadlock. It might make us slow to swing a deal because of the politics and lobbying involved internally.

I'm losing hope on Gasol simply because that's also a complex deal, and it sounds as though the FO has their hands full with KG/Amare. Also, i haven't even seen any smoke on the Gasol front from any reporter out there. A deal for Gasol or even Calderon would seem like it came out of left field at this point.

[VarsitySlacker]

The problem that I've been having with this trade, is that I can not find any possible way to get the salary to work out without either a) Phoenix sending a whole bunch of sh!t to Minnesota for Salary purposes, or b) Kurt Thomas being included. I don't see Minnesota wanting the former, and I would think the latter would have been announced, as Thomas would be a pretty crucial part of the deal working, correct me if I'm wrong.

[txsting]

I think KT would be headed to Min from reports I read. That would be essential to making the money work agreed. It's also highly desirable from Min's standpoint.

People are saying all Min gets is #3 and #11, but they would probably get one young talent (Shelden or Marvin), plus about $15+M in expirings, which is HUGE. Seems if we sent Marvin we could get the #7 back, and that might allow for Conley.

I guess we'll have to wait and see. The rumor sources are drying up and the "legit" media doesn't know crap either.

[Guest Walter]

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Well no matter what I do not want Yi now. If we don't make a trade for a star player then I hope we draft Horford.

Selfish owners are not thinking about the team just themselves and their other ventures. What a mess this organization is.

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While I would rather have Amare (and the health risks involved) over any other option, if not why does a part owner's rumored desire for a player make that player less attractive. Really, Yi is the most talented, has the most upside, and is the least replication of any player we already have. That doesn't change because an owner likes him and a "win now" Woodson doesn't.

W

[Sothron]

While I do prefer Horford I think Walter has a point: its not fair to Yi as a player and especially as a Hawk if the only reason he's here is to make someone money. He still has tons of talent and potential. If we do draft Yi I hope the guy becomes as great as he can be.

[Seano]

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The problem that I've been having with this trade, is that I can not find any possible way to get the salary to work out without either a) Phoenix sending a whole bunch of sh!t to Minnesota for Salary purposes, or b) Kurt Thomas being included.

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What if Phoenix included Boris Diaw? I have no idea if that would work or if Minny would want any part of it even if it did, but just throwing around ideas I guess.

I agree with HawksChSmMa though. I'm gonna proceed as if this is not even a possibility any longer, and just get prepared for us to draft two players we're going to keep....which will be exciting enough in its own right, just not 'Amare exciting' far as I'm concerned.

[DavidSomerset]

owners who are against the Amare trade make less money.

Hopefully their other businesses would go bankrupt.

[atlien]

You know, from a money perspective, that doesnt make sense.

These owners are successful enough in business to know that getting Amare ASSURES us of business success (bringing in probably the most exciting center in the league at age 24 and adding him to a very athletic team filled with dunkers).

We get Amare, we're a contender for the Eastern conference title.

We get Yi, and maybe he pans out and makes us a TON of money.

Or, maybe he struggles for the first few years and the Chinese population loses interest (probably the more likely scenario). Now we're back to square one with a shitty franchise where 3,000 people come to games each night.

So, its between taking the ASSURED success that comes with Amare or rolling the dice and gambling on Yi with not very good odds, but a possbily huge payout.

YOU HAVE TO GO FOR AMARE. These owners are too smart not to do that. At least I hope so.

[jezmund]

I can't say I'd be mad if we traded:

Al Horford

Acie Law

Marvin Williams

for

Amare Stoudemire

Mike Conley Jr.

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KG/#41/CSmith to Phoenix

#3/#11/Marvin/Wright/AJ/Salim/Thomas to Minnesota

#7/Amare to Atlanta

That's just too good to be true.

MCJ / Claxton / Lue

Johnson / Childress

Childress / ???

Smith / Shelden / Jones

Stoudemire / Zaza

Move Lue for an expiring Wing player.

[Sothron]

Trust me I'd rather the Hawks be owned by Ted Turner or Arthur Blank who actually seemed to want to spend money for winning teams instead of using potential draft picks as bargaining chips into Chinese business ventures. It honestly sounds like something from a Tom Clancy novel. Where's Rainbow Six when you need them?

[VarsitySlacker]

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/trad...~21~16~21~16~16

This is the only thing that I could get to go through on either trade checker, RealGM or ESPN. This of course does not take into account draft picks, but it's reason for concern. The Hawks are giving up Marvin and Shelden already, do we really want to lose the 3 and the 11 as well? In this case (which I think it has already become farfetched enough to be impossible), I'd want to keep the 11 to draft a PG.

[Guest Walter]

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owners who are against the Amare trade make less money.

Hopefully their other businesses would go bankrupt.

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Potentially damn the team by screwing the owners. Nice. I don't like a d@mn one of them either, frankly, but I'm not running over the team to get to them, or even BK or Woody.

W