| Steve Belkin Can Become Sole Owner Of The Hawks Authored by Patrick J. Austin - June 9, 2006 - 7:57 pm
You read that title correctly; Steve Belkin has the option to buyout his former partners and become the sole owner of the Atlanta Hawks and Thrashers. How is this possible? Well, a judge in Maryland ruled that the seven owners who removed Belkin from power breached a buyout agreement that was in place between the two parties. Therefore, Belkin now has the ability to buyout the “Atlanta Spirit” partners and become owner. To make matters worse, the judge dismissed all other counts in the case and rendered remaining claims “moot.”
Talk about a drastic turn of events. The fans were lead to believe this was an open and shut case. The current owners were going to buyout Belkin and move on from this embarrassing mess. Unfortunately, disputes over the value of Belkin’s shares have lead to this apparent breach of contract. So, I guess we can kiss the possibility of Belkin quietly heading out of town with a bag of money goodbye. It’s clear he’s not leaving without a fight.
If this ruling holds up and Belkin exercises his buyout option, be prepared to see some MAJOR changes in the Atlanta Hawks organization. Billy Knight would be a goner for sure. Let’s not forget, Knight is the same man who refused to shake Belkin’s hand at a court hearing. I wouldn’t be surprised if Belkin fired B.K. the same day he takes over.
With Knight out, you’d most definitely see Mike Woodson axed as head coach. In fact, there’s a good chance Mike would choose to step down. Remember, he and B.K. are very good friends and if Knight is fired, then Woodson might just up and leave with him.
What about Joe Johnson? As many of us can’t forget, Belkin was the owner who strongly opposed (and blocked for a short period) the sign and trade that landed J.J. in a Hawks uniform. With Steve running the show, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Johnson placed on the trading block. Of course, this would depend on who Belkin hires as G.M. but the possibility of a Johnson trade would definitely be in consideration.
The payroll of the team would probably remain the same or even reduced. Many believe a major reason Belkin was so fervently against the Johnson trade was because he didn’t want to spend so much money on one player. Some even speculate he wanted to run to the franchise on a bare-bones budget (i.e. the league-mandated minimum salary cap). If these rumors are even remotely true, don’t expect to see the Hawks sign a big-salary free agent in the foreseeable future.
As you can tell, if Belkin becomes the owner virtually everything about the Hawks would change—the makeup of the roster, the coaching staff, the front office…everything.
What upsets me most is that I should be reporting about draft prospects right now, not some convoluted legal battle between bickering millionaires. This is a sad state of affairs that could get worse.
This feud isn’t going away any time soon and the ones getting hurt are the die-hard Hawk fans. We want so desperately to see this team succeed and return to prominence. Instead, we have the dubious honor of watching our franchise steadily spiral into basketball obscurity; a joke of an organization with no direction or leadership.
A sad state of affairs indeed. |
