It's final, I got a call from one of my friends ..

[Joker]

who works in the NBA that the serveral Hawks onwers were against the trade for Amare. They were sold about Yi. He said that Yi would not only bring a TV deal for the Hawks to China but it will bring big money sponsers as well. What does this mean for fans of the Hawks, not much other then the fact that the onwers only wan't to make money and winning is secondary, they don't care about winning they just want to make money, as for BK he been pretty much screwed and he probably in his last year in Atlanta. He was strongly advocating the Amare deal and did everything to show why it would be most reasonable, but the two owners where already sold on Yi and sold the Hawks to Yi people like a corporate trade. This is a great day for some of the Hawks owners, they now can expand they profits and make some with the addition of Yi, but a bad day for Hawk fans becuase this is the beginning of the end.

Note: Don't expect Woodson or Knight to be here next year due to the emergent of a rookie who play great who the Hawks passed on and media bashing of passing on the Amare trade, and what was said to Ford was talk from one of the owners to put the fault on Belkin and which Belkin is from his understanding is piss to the tee and is now trying vastly to take control of the team when the trial resumes. This has really make a sticky sitution in Atlanta even sticktier.

BK is currently pissed as well, he wanted Brandan Wright and was override and now the Amare trade and was ovveride, he currently has no power. Two owners are running to show and other owners have no backbone or well is Belkinm Belkin really has no power right now neither.

My friend works for the NBA in Seacacus, NJ. No he doesn't work for the Hawks but this is causing quite a stir in NBA intercircle as well. Stern needs to step in but I doubt he will, this is only getting worst.

My personal thoughts , I think BK screwed himself over years ago but now is getting what he did to us when he selected Marvin but then again, owners had a big part in that as well. The ownership in this organization is all about business, which I knew that serveral years ago, that's what happen when you take corporate world, white men in their 40's and let them buy a NBA and NHL team without even knowing what a basketball rim regulation height or what it take to win a hockey title is. These guys are not about bring the best product to it market, there about bring the most profitble product to the market and this move is like striking gold for this organization. Many of you are sadden or happy by the moves made by the organization and the fact that they keep selling garbage and you buy it up like it's really good. All I got to say is do you, but I'm not falling for that and I'm done with the organization and I'm becoming a full pleage Denver Nuggets fan.

Take care, nbasuperstar40.

[capstone21]

I hope this is not true. I am one of the people who think Yi will only be an average player in the NBA. I think it will be a big mistake to take him with the 3 pick.

For those who point to his international play against the USA as a reason why he will be good in the NBA...I point to Carlos Arroyo. He dominated us and look at him now. Playing well against the US does not make you suddenly an impact NBA player.

[Joker]

Quote:

---

I hope this is not true. I am one of the people who think Yi will only be an average player in the NBA. I think it will be a big mistake to take him with the 3 pick.

For those who point to his international play against the USA as a reason why he will be good in the NBA...I point to Carlos Arroyo. He dominated us and look at him now. Playing well against the US does not make you suddenly an impact NBA player.

---

It's final from what he tells me, I want the Hawks to draft Brandan but he said the Hawks are sold on Yi, he as much of a lock as Oden and Durant. This is not about what best for the team, they would have made the Amare deal if that was the case, this is about profits and money. Yi= BIG DOLLARS.

Hawks owners found that out when they did a feasiblity report on what impact Yi will make financially for this organization. After that they were sold. I ask why he didn't call me and tell me earlier but he been rock busy he said.

[BossTweed]

I hope you're wrong, but if we take Yi I think I will probably follow one of my Gator boys to whatever team they get drafted by. I've only been a Hawks fan for 2 years, but I really wanted to follow and enjoy this team, and it seems like the ownership is going to drive me away.

[atl444atl444]

This trade initially brought light into my world by now it seems the Hawks are in a worse position than i thought.

[emorywjs]

WOW, a friend who does not work for Hawks knows so much detail. Amazing !!!

Sothron, I only trust you. Please confirm this.

[gutz]

Brandon Wright would be a worse pick than Yi. Whoever advocates taking Wright doesn't know anything about basketball or the Hawks.

[Sasha_Volkov]

I know Sothron...I've worked with him. You, sir, are no Sothron.

[vdunkndunk]

If the Hawks draft Yi at 3, that's how I'll know I should never ever support this team again until these owners are gone.

If this is true at all - that we will pass on the best prospect, but especially that we turn down Amare for Yi - that's it for me.

No more. Why stick with it when you have incompetent morons running the team who only care about money? If that's what they want, they deserve the empty arenas at Philips. They deserve to lose to Belkin - I hope they have to pay him a couple hundred million to buy the team out and then he moves it on to Las Vegas if we would really turn down Stoudamire.

Then maybe we could get a real NBA franchise instead in Atlanta instead of this stupid joke we have here. I've never heard of such incompetence - never. And it's like it never ends - each new development is more disgusting than the last.

[Sothron]

Lol thanks for the support guys.

I have to say this: if we take Yi at #3 then I'm going to believe that my source who last contacted me earlier today and said that the two owners who were pushing for Yi just for $$$ convinced the other guys to IMO sell out this franchise's soul just to make money.

I truly hope this is incorrect but there's too many things that could be right for me to just totally dismiss it. Hopefully my own sources can shed some light after all of this is over as to what happened.

[Joker]

Quote:

---

WOW, a friend who does not work for Hawks knows so much detail. Amazing !!!

Sothron, I only trust you. Please confirm this.

---

Most of talk since the Squrs/Cavs series ending has been about what the Hawks will do with 3rd pick and yesterday was a day that wasn't just big for ESPN but also for the NBA, you don't have to believe I talked to my friend today but I did we talked for a about a hour on the Hawks, KG trade and the draft, he said this is the most talk on the Hawks in some time since he been working there. I'm not Sothron, he is not my source, he just my friend who returned my call from last night and we talked about the Hawks their draft, and the KG trade. The Hawks owners are known around the league for being 'make money' owners but I didn't think it was this bad. This is what he knows, I believe him, it seems to believeble especially after the moves the Hawks have made to this point since ATL Spirit have taken reign of this organization.

[Diesel]

Just agree with everything... Yeah. That's the ticket!

[FrankWhite]

This doesn't pass the sniff test for me. For the past 3 weeks we've heard it's a 3 way race between Horford, Conley and Yi, and now BK is pissed because he can't draft Brandan Wright? Couple this with Sekou Smith saying there wasn't a deal in place for Stoudemire, just some conversation... eh. I'll wait and see what actually happens before I believe these things, thanks.

[AtLaS]

Quote:

---

All I got to say is do you, but I'm not falling for that and I'm done with the organization and I'm becoming a full pleage Denver Nuggets fan.

Take care, nbasuperstar40.

---

[vdunkndunk]

This whole thing just disgusts me. It's sickening. Seriously, if this stuff is true - and I'm hoping it's not - then David Stern should kick these guys out of the league, because they have to be the most incompetent owners in the history of professional sports.

First of all, they invite some guy they barely know to be their partner and help them buy a team as part of some hair-brained scheme that they apparently hatched on a whim in the space of two or three weeks - "hey, let's buy a couple professional sports teams...yeah, that sounds like fun."

Then - surprise, surprise - none of these random rich dudes can ever agree on anything, so pretty soon they get into a huge and embarrasing public fight and nearly cost themselves Joe Johnson. This results in the ouster of one of the partners. But then the remaining partners can't even manage to draft a contract correctly, so next thing they know the ousted partner is destroying them in court at every turn and making them look like morons. Soon the ousted partner has won the right to buy everyone else out.

In the meantime, these guys have been complaining that Belkin was evil because he didn't want to spend money to win, but next thing you know we're hearing that the "good guys" have a chance to trade for a 24 year-old All-NBA Center and become an instant contender without even giving up any core players, yet they'd prefer to blow the 3rd pick on a guy who isn't even a top 5 prospect just to make a little extra money in CHINA?

If that's the case, I really don't understand why we just changed our team colors. We already had Red and Yellow...wouldn't that have been perfect? Just change the name on the jersey's from Atlanta to Beijing and we'd be set. I mean, I thought we wanted to resurrect this franchise, not run it into the ground and turn it into the biggest joke in the history of the NBA.

[Sothron]

I understand your frustration but let's see how everything actually goes down. I admit I would be very surprised if we took Yi and did actually turn down a trade for Amare or someone comparable just to make more money in China. If that is true then I don't know if I could support a franchise that wouldn't even support its own chances of winning.

But let's see what actually happens first.

[Clueless]

if this is true this might be the best thing that can happen to the hawks. billy bob and mike woodson are gone.

YI Jianlian will atleast be as good as billy knight previous picks

[vdunkndunk]

To be clear, I'm not abandoning hope...yet. Although so far the past actions of this organization don't give me much reason to hope. Still, I'm hoping these rumors aren't for real and I'm waiting to see what happens on draft night.

If we find a way to do the Amare deal, or if we draft Horford or Conley, I'll feel like we're making a basketball decision and I'll be ecstatic. And I'll continue to support the Hawks.

If we draft Yi, I'll feel like were making a business decision and I'll find a new team and let the Chinese watch these guys limp to another 30-win season. Maybe every now and then I'll check the papers to see if Belkin has succeeded yet in clowning these guys out of this franchise, but that's about it.

The Hawks' homepage does not make me feel optimistic right now, though.

[AnakinJoe]

Wow, my first Hawksquawk post. Much respect to you all.

More money for owners should translate into not having a bottom 5 payroll in the long-term. It could translate into signing elite free agents. It could lead to a buyout of Belkin (now that it is more likely that the other owners may quickly recoup their money). I think it is wrong to assume that they will pocket the incremental money (which will likely be huge from specific sponsorships for both Philips Arena AND the Atlanta Hawks) without re-investing that money into the team. Want to take away some revenue currently going to Yao and Houston? Get into the 2nd round of the playoffs before the Rockets do. May not be the best short-term basketball move but it could pay tremendous on-court dividends in 1-3 years.

[OdentonFalcon]

I agree with taking Yi, Horford is Sam Bowie, He was great in college, but that's it. I saw all of his games. He's not so good against better talent. Yi has played against NBAers, that's more than most in the draft. Yi=Playoffs.