Rumored sale founded

[DrReality]

Sale of Hawks looking legit

The story concerning the imminent sale of the Hawks by SI.com last week is pretty much on the money, the team's denials to the contrary. The sale is close to being completed, though it won't be finalized in time for an approval vote by the Board of Governors at its meeting Tuesday in Dallas. There is a single, and up to now, anonymous buyer, according to a source. The amount? I'm told it's in the neighborhood of $300 million, including debt on the team. The team's current ownership group, Atlanta Spirit, is expected to remain on in a minority ownership capacity, according to the source, who's been briefed on the terms of the pending transfer.

Another group led by the founders of the Outback Steakhouse chain in Florida also put in a bid on the team, according to a source, though it's unclear how much they put up or if they were ever seriously considered

[capstone21]

Is the rumor to a group or an individual? I am hoping for someone with deep pockets like Cuban who wants to see the team succeed

[Admin]

If I had one wish it would be to have the Steinbrenner's buy the team ... For one because they will spend whatever it takes to field a winner and alsobecause it would kill the Braves fans here lol. I'm sure it will never happen but aguy can dream.

[capstone21]

Its too bad the Russian Owner had bought us instead of the Nets

[NJHAWK]

Russian Smussian those prince sheiks oil cats from Qatar have $$$ out the wazzoo. I hope the guys that bought Manchester City buy the Hawks. Abu Dhabi baby.

[MaceCase]

If I had one wish it would be to have the Steinbrenner's buy the team ... For one because they will spend whatever it takes to field a winner and alsobecause it would kill the Braves fans here lol. I'm sure it will never happen but aguy can dream.

George? Sure, but unless Marvin has discovered the secret to reanimate the dead inside of a Rubik's cube then I'd want no part of his kids, Hank in particular. That guy has Jimmy Dolan 2.0 written all over him, he'd be a douchier and far less charismatic Cuban at best.

[Admin]

George? Sure, but unless Marvin has discovered the secret to reanimate the dead inside of a Rubik's cube then I'd want no part of his kids, Hank in particular. That guy has Jimmy Dolan 2.0 written all over him, he'd be a douchier and far less charismatic Cuban at best.

It would have to be BOTH Hank and Hal for me to want them as owners because they work very well together but separate I think they'd struggle.

[niremetal]

It'll be interesting to see if the "our owners are cheap meme" will continue when new owners come in and spend no more than the ASG has. No owner in the NBA would be spending the luxury tax on this team at this time. That would basically be throwing millions of dollars down the drain, which smart businessmen just don't do.

Regardless, I look forward to new ownership. Not because our current owners aren't spending enough, but rather because they meddle too much in decisions that should be the exclusive province of the GM.

[Dragitoff]

It'll be interesting to see if the "our owners are cheap meme" will continue when new owners come in and spend no more than the ASG has. No owner in the NBA would be spending the luxury tax on this team at this time. That would basically be throwing millions of dollars down the drain, which smart businessmen just don't do.

Regardless, I look forward to new ownership. Not because our current owners aren't spending enough, but rather because they meddle too much in decisions that should be the exclusive province of the GM.

One thing a new owner might be willing to do though is spend the luxury tax IF it meant putting that team into the upper echelon. I'm not talking about signing someone to the MLE, but making a trade that could bring in legitimate difference maker talent, even if it meant going into the luxury tax.

[macdaddy]

The team's current ownership group, Atlanta Spirit, is expected to remain on in a minority ownership capacity, according to the source, who's been briefed on the terms of the pending transfer.

This is the scary part. If it was a Cuban/Steinbrenner/Blank type they'd never keep these guys on. Whether or not you believe they've run the Hawks on the cheap their ownership has been disasterous.

-ownership group sue each other over Joe's trade. resolution takes 5 years?

-hockey team run into the ground and then sold and moved a transaction they had been trying to make since almost the beginning.

-ownership sues their own lawyers

You can debate whether they can run a basketball team, but running a business like this seems beyond them.

[KB21]

One thing a new owner might be willing to do though is spend the luxury tax IF it meant putting that team into the upper echelon. I'm not talking about signing someone to the MLE, but making a trade that could bring in legitimate difference maker talent, even if it meant going into the luxury tax.

First, let me state that I definitely want ASG gone from the ownership box for this organization, but saying that they wouldn't make a deal to get a player that would put this team over the hump and into the upper echelon because they would have had to pay the luxury tax is a stretch. I highly doubt that opportunity presented itself. This is the ownership group that made Joe Johnson the highest paid player in the game, foolishly.

My biggest beef with this ownership group is that all of them are not on the same page, they do not let the GM do his job without their interference, they do not understand proper value or have fiscal responsibility when it comes to some of their decisions, and they do not understand the value of using cheap draft picks to fill out the bottom of the roster.

[Admin]

One thing a new owner might be willing to do though is spend the luxury tax IF it meant putting that team into the upper echelon. I'm not talking about signing someone to the MLE, but making a trade that could bring in legitimate difference maker talent, even if it meant going into the luxury tax.

You're not going to do that with one trade though since we're over the cap we'll only be able to add on a little salary this year and possibly some long term salary. The only way we're going to really go over the tax would be to use the full MLE every year and re-sign our own players like Jamal instead of letting them walk.

I agree with Nire that the mentality around here won't change because it was the same before the ASG bought the team and we were operated far more cheaply prior to them. The ASG have made some "cheap" decisions like selling draft choices and not using the full MLE every year but I believe they've spent as much as they should and in some cases too much on the current product. But alas we'll always have a grass is greener attitude unless we're spending 20-30 million over the luxury tax and that will never happen unless we get a big time billionaire owner.

[AHF]

It'll be interesting to see if the "our owners are cheap meme" will continue when new owners come in and spend no more than the ASG has. No owner in the NBA would be spending the luxury tax on this team at this time. That would basically be throwing millions of dollars down the drain, which smart businessmen just don't do.

Regardless, I look forward to new ownership. Not because our current owners aren't spending enough, but rather because they meddle too much in decisions that should be the exclusive province of the GM.

Hopefully it will also mean the end of penny pinching with things like your coach's salary, your GM's salary, and selling desirable draft picks.

[Admin]

This is the scary part. If it was a Cuban/Steinbrenner/Blank type they'd never keep these guys on. Whether or not you believe they've run the Hawks on the cheap their ownership has been disasterous.

-ownership group sue each other over Joe's trade. resolution takes 5 years?

-hockey team run into the ground and then sold and moved a transaction they had been trying to make since almost the beginning.

-ownership sues their own lawyers

You can debate whether they can run a basketball team, but running a business like this seems beyond them.

Now those points I definitely agree with and that's the big reason why I'm interested in new ownership, although I'm not for new ownership unless it's a clear upgrade. The ASG definitely played a big part in embarrassing us to the public with their petty fight in court and while I could care less about hockey they did cost the city their franchise and that's pretty bad.

[frosgrim]

I want the ASG gone. PERIOD. They are simply awful.

Further, I can't imagine anyone would be willing to partner with these guys. They've shown themselves to be litigious and who wants that aggravation?

You would also have to think Junior would only give up control of the Hawks when they pry it from his cold, dead hands.

What ever the new owner is, I hope he has full ownership of the team, or has a different set of minority investors than the ASG.

[DrReality]

Anyone who would get in a deal with ASG without them being minority owners would be crazy and not an upgrade from what we have. If the meal wasn't good the first time it won't get any better as leftovers.

[Randy]

Sale of Hawks looking legit

The team's current ownership group, Atlanta Spirit, is expected to remain on in a minority ownership capacity, according to the source, who's been briefed on the terms of the pending transfer.

That worked out so well with Belkin......

[Admin]

If the ASG remain on as minority owners it will be a far different situation than with Belkin. I'd guess that the new majority owner(s) would own at the very least 51% of the team and probably a lot more and will have final say on everything. I'm just hoping that they will be hands off and let Sund be a real GM and give him some room to expand the payroll.

[KB21]

If the ASG remain on as minority owners it will be a far different situation than with Belkin. I'd guess that the new majority owner(s) would own at the very least 51% of the team and probably a lot more and will have final say on everything. I'm just hoping that they will be hands off and let Sund be a real GM and give him some room to expand the payroll.

You think the new ownership will keep Sund on? I think Sund could be a quality GM, at least from the standpoint of evaluating talent. I have a bad taste in my mouth with the way he has let Michael Gearon make him his lap dog though. With Kevin Pritchard sitting out there, I would like to see the new owner make a move to bring him in as GM.

[Admin]

You think the new ownership will keep Sund on? I think Sund could be a quality GM, at least from the standpoint of evaluating talent. I have a bad taste in my mouth with the way he has let Michael Gearon make him his lap dog though. With Kevin Pritchard sitting out there, I would like to see the new owner make a move to bring him in as GM.

I'd live Pritchard but I think Sund deserves a shot at it without having his hands tied.