8/7 AJC article - dirt being thrown everywhere...

[flava]

http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/ha...05/07hawks.html

Owners quarrel with deal in limbo

By TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/07/05

The bitter battle within the Hawks' ownership group continued Saturday, with one owner suggesting that Steve Belkin's opposition to the pending Joe Johnson trade reflects Belkin's desire to operate the franchise "on the cheap."

Michael Gearon Sr., a member of the nine-man ownership group and a former Hawks president and general manager, said Belkin has clashed with his partners over how much to spend on the player payroll.

"I think that's the real issue here — one owner simply doesn't want to spend money to build this team," Gearon Sr. said. "This franchise is in critical condition, and we want to get it out of intensive care. Steve apparently has a different goal, and I'm afraid that's to operate this franchise on the cheap."

Gearon's son, Michael Gearon Jr., also is a member of the ownership group. Informed of his father's comments, Gearon Jr. said: "I agree with everything my father said. He's absolutely correct."

Not so, said Belkin, reached in Boston Saturday night.

"What they're saying doesn't make any sense, because any contract that [Hawks general manager] Billy Knight has brought to the board, I have approved, including the Joe Johnson contract," Belkin said. "What I'm disapproving of is giving away our valuable assets of two first-round draft picks [in the proposed trade]. It's not about spending money; it's about giving away assets."

Belkin said he used his power as the Hawks' NBA governor to block the trade with Phoenix for Johnson because he believes Atlanta would be giving up too much — Boris Diaw and the two picks. He said he continues to authorize extending to Johnson, a restricted free agent, a five-year, $70 million offer sheet, which the Suns have said repeatedly they would match.

Said Gearon Sr.: "You can authorize whatever when you're fairly certain the other team [will match]."

A trade with Phoenix is the only way to be assured of getting Johnson, but Belkin said Saturday he still thinks the Hawks should make the contract offer and test whether the Suns will match. He said his partners are unwilling to go that route. They say that's because they believe Phoenix would match, leaving the Hawks without the player they covet — and without the fat contract.

"I think there's a very good possibility Phoenix would not match," Belkin said.

Gearon Sr. said it's his "understanding" that Belkin has advocated internally a Hawks payroll "in the range of $32 million," while the overall ownership has budgeted a payroll of $48 million. Gearon Sr. said by blocking the trade, Belkin is "undermining" the higher budget.

"I think Steve's goal is to run the Hawks with a very low payroll," Gearon Jr. said.

"There is no evidence to support that," Belkin said.

"Steve has consistently advocated low payrolls relative to the rest of the league for the Hawks and the Thrashers," Gearon Jr. said.

Asked Saturday if he has advocated lower payrolls than his partners, Belkin didn't answer directly. He said: "I suggested spending our money wisely. . . . The important thing is, they can't point to one instance where I didn't approve a contract."

Tensions within the Hawks-Thrashers ownership group erupted early last week when Belkin refused to endorse the Johnson trade. The other owners, who collectively hold a 70 percent stake in the operation, strongly favor the deal, but NBA rules require the team's governor to endorse it before it can be consummated.

When Belkin refused, co-owner Bruce Levenson scheduled a Friday ownership teleconference to vote on removing Boston-based Belkin as governor. He responded by going to court in Boston and getting a temporary restraining order that prohibits his partners from removing him until at least Tuesday, when a hearing will be held in Suffolk County Superior Court.

Meanwhile, the Johnson trade remained in limbo Saturday.

"If [belkin] wants to prove to the franchise he will spend money, he can make this deal," Gearon Sr. said. "This franchise was bought at a low price because it needed money spent on it, and that's something I'm not sure he's willing to do.

"There is a broader issue here, which is the future of the franchise."

Several of the Hawks' owners said Saturday they continue to push hard for the Johnson sign-and-trade because they think it's critical to the franchise's future.

"This is the most critical free-agent acquisition in the history of the franchise," Gearon Sr. said. "And I made the next biggest, Dan Roundfield."

The Hawks acquired Roundfield in 1978. Gearon Sr., now 70, was the Hawks' general manager for two seasons in the late 1970s and the team's president through the mid-1980s under then-owner Ted Turner.

Levenson said Saturday the team's owners have no reason to question Knight's judgment about the Johnson trade.

"I spent my first year as an owner speaking to other owners with track records of success, basketball execs and top player agents," Levenson said. "I asked them all the same question: 'How do you build a consistent winner in the NBA?' All of them said, 'Trust your basketball experts to make the basketball decisions.'

"We pay Billy Knight, our scouts and coaches millions of dollars to find talent and negotiate deals. Every single one of them strongly supports this deal. As owners, we need to support our basketball experts until through bad deals they lose our confidence. Billy has a track record of smart deals and draft picks. That's why I support Billy and his staff 100 percent on this deal."

Gearon Sr. rejected Belkin's contention that two first-round picks are too valuable to give up in the deal. "We've had, I'd estimate, 33 first-round draft picks since 1972," he said, "and not one of them has evolved into a player the quality of Joe Johnson.

"When you sign draft picks, you may not get good players, but you know you're going to get the players cheap. You've got to get key free agents or key players in trades, and when you do that, you've got to pay players."

[flava]

by keeping the picks, belkin knows there will be two relatively inexpensive players on the payroll.

furthermore, he knows (although he won't say it) that phoenix will match - that's why he's advocating the contract and not the sign and trade.

most importantly, though, this is becoming very, very hostile. there is no way the group can "work this out and be friends". that damage is far, far too great.

as hawks fans, we must hope belkin loses authority on tuesday. after that, his fate will be determined swiftly by the other owners....

flava

[Admin]

"We've had, I'd estimate, 33 first-round draft picks since 1972," he said, "and not one of them has evolved into a player the quality of Joe Johnson."

That really puts things into perspective quite a bit doesnt it. Lets pray that this cycle changes with the Joshs and Marvin though.

[pathway23]

Thats probably true because we made a trade to get Nique, isn't that right? Nique was drafted by the Jazz I think?

[Final_quest]

Was Kevin Willis a draft pick?

I would say Mutumbo was a more signigicant free agent signing than Roundfield, but Roundfield was before my time.

This is crazy. Is a $32 million dollar budget possible? Per the new CBA you have to spend at least like $37 million. How will Belkin skirt around that?

$48 million even sounds cheap to me.

[TheDude]

ha ha, it's funny in a way.. i like this Gearon guy..usually these big wigs refrain from saying anything derogatory but he straight came out and said that Belkin is cheap and that the rest of the group's main interest is saving this franchise and are willing to spend to do it.

that's what i like to hear..we want to spend money to get this thing turned around and we will point out that this guy doesn't..

gearon sounds like the cuban/maloof type ownership..belkin is donald sterling.

[mdawg]

It's clear Belkin wants to follow the Donald Sterling model of how to run an NBA franchise. He wants young, cheap talent, and then he'll let them go for nothing once they become stars.

[ggp]

I don't care whether Belkin is frugal or not. The important fact is that he owns only 30% of the franchise and should not be able to call the shots from a minority position.

[Inside_Man]

The good news I gotta say is that I like these other owners!!!

[twistedemotions]

Belkin is a moron.

I'm sure he believes this to be a two party transaction: Suns VS Hawks. Belkin thinks, "Hey. If they match we get to keep our money, Diaw, and picks. No harm done."

Truth is, this is a 3 party transaction: the Suns & Hawks & JJ. This isn't a one-on-one game of chicken. The Suns AND Joe Johnson get screwed in a matching situation. Belkin may have nothing to risk, but JJ does.

JJ won't sign on an offer sheet that will doom him to play somewhere he doesn't want to be. He KNOWS the Suns will match. Joe wants a sign and trade. It's a WIN/WIN/WIN situation. He doesn't want to be to be in Phoenix. It's his future, his happiness, and his chance to be "the man" thats on the line here.

BK no doubt sold him on Atlanta and how great it will be there. I don't doubt there was a huge emotional sell made by the Hawks.

Joe made a public commitment to becoming a Hawk. Joe had to do that. His statements gave Sarver the support he needed to trade Joe Johnson off. I'm sure before that, BK made a private commitment to making Joe a Hawk.

Belkin thinks, "Sarver won't do it. I don't care if my reputation is horrible, surely he doesn't care either. Even if he does match I lose nothing." Dumb, dumb, dumb...

The Suns owner backed himself into a corner by saying on TV and radio he will match. The Suns would lose face and all power in future negotiations if they didn't match. While Belkin may not give a damn about his organization, the Suns management very much cares about theirs. Frankly Sarver would be lynched by the media and the fans if he went back on his word now.

Belkin is apparently completely clueless about how free agency works. He doesn't see how integrity and reputation play into drawing free agents and making deals. BK and most of the Hawk owners made a commitment to JJ. Belkin responds, "Screw JJ!!!! I could care less what commitments you made to him or the Suns."

Belkin doesn't give a damn if the Suns match, screwing both JJ and the Suns. Its frigging obvious he could care less about backstabbing a free agent that actually WANTS to come be a part of the organization.

Belkin has Joe in a bind. What is Joe supposed to do? He's gone out on a limb publicly to become a Hawk, and Belkin is squabbling over one lousy draft pick. All Joe or the other owners can do now is wait. Belkin has given them no other choice.

Belkin is scum.

[CBAreject]

Kevin Willis was a draft pick, and I think he was #10 overall the year that Jordan, Olajuwon, and Barkley were drafted. Willis still is the best pick this team has ever made. Hard to say he wasn't at the level of Joe Johnson in his prime. He was a stellar rebounder and low post scorer. I do believe he put up 21 and 12 one year when Nique blew out his Achilles. He was often in the top 5 in rebounding in his prime.

[mrhonline]

Quote:

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When Belkin refused, co-owner

Bruce Levenson scheduled a Friday ownership teleconference to vote on removing Boston-based Belkin

as governor.

---

Quote:

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Levenson said Saturday the team's owners have no reason to question Knight's judgment

about the Johnson trade.

"I spent my first year as an owner speaking to other owners with track records of success, basketball execs and top player agents," Levenson said. "I asked them all the same question: 'How do you build a consistent winner in the NBA?' All of them said, 'Trust your basketball experts to make the basketball decisions.'

"We pay Billy Knight, our scouts and coaches millions of dollars to find talent and negotiate deals. Every single one of them strongly supports this deal.

As owners, we need to support our basketball experts until through bad deals they lose our confidence

. Billy has a track record of smart deals and draft picks. That's why I support Billy and his staff 100 percent on this deal."

---

Mr. Levenson, if you're reading this, you're my hero.

[Inside_Man]

1) Even if Belkin is right that the Suns wouldn't have matched - now that the Hawks have hung their dirty laundry out for all to see, of course Phoenix will match. Our only options now are do the sign and trade, or not get Johnson.

2) The court case isn't whether Belkin has to follow majority rule, it's whether they can remove him as governor. He may be right about that.

3) Since the owners took a vote on this trade, they've presumambly taken votes on all personnel matters. Why would they do that if Belkin has all the power he says he has? It makes no sense, unless Belkin is dead wrong (which he is.)

4) Belkin doesn't want to spend the cap, he only wants to spend the minimum. Belkin also says those draft picks are valuable. Well he's right, because if he only spends the minimum, then the Hawks will continue to stink and those pics WILL be valuable. It's a self-fullfilling prophecy. Of course, if we spend all our cap dollars, then we're in the playoffs, and the pics we gave away are worthless.

[Nicholasp27]

if belkin is removed, i will be a VERY strong supporter of our ownership group...the gearons and levinson sound like they get it and are willing and eager to bring a winning team back to atlanta

please, oh please, just let ONE thing go right in Hawks history and let belkin be stripped of his power on Tuesday

we FINALLY have good owners (- belkin ) and i don't want anything to ruin that

[AHF]

The people of Atlanta will never forgive Belkin for this. If he somehow won this power struggle the fans would still hate his guts. He needs to come up with a price and get out of this city and away from the Hawks.

[Inside_Man]

Quote:

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The people of Atlanta will never forgive Belkin for this.

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What does he care - he wants the team in Vegas. He has no ties to Atlanta.

[AHF]

Quote:

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Quote:

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The people of Atlanta will never forgive Belkin for this.

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What does he care - he wants the team in Vegas. He has no ties to Atlanta.

---

Because even under his reading of the agreement he can't move the franchise without everyone else signing off - which isn't going to happen. My point is that Belkin has to realize that he has no long-term future with the franchise at this point and my guess is that he is trying to negotiate a profitable buyout of his interest in the franchise. If he was trying to get the other owners to sell him their interest, this is a good way to make sure someone like Gearson doesn't consider doing that. It is personal between him and the rest of the owners now and that can be good when getting them to raise the price to buy him out but is very bad for the same reasons for getting them to sell out to him.

[Nicholasp27]

hawks have contract with atlanta till 2019...he can't move it for awhile

[Nurlman]

Belkin could say he can't be removed as governor by the other owners per the terms of the p'ship agreement. That may be true and the judge might agree.

The partners could say, OK, but by virtue of the unilateral veto he's chosen to exercise, he's violated the terms of the p'ship governance (I'm assuming there is an unambiguous term in there calling for majority rule), then they ask the court for injunctive relief, which would be non-monetary means of returning the p'ners to their status prior to the violation by the one party. The court might order the court requiring Belkin to execute the trade as per the p'ship agreement or being removed as NBA governor by the court, since that would be the least expensive, most effective means of putting the parties (the other partners) closest to the position they were in before Belkin violated the p'ship agreement.

[Nurlman]

Perhaps David Stern has the ability/authority to clarify the role of Governor and what the Governor's charge is, vis-a-vis the will of his ownership group.