Hawks ownership at odds over Joe Johnson trade
Associated Press
BOSTON -- A judge here stepped into the feud between owners of the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, blocking the other members of the ownership group from removing Boston businessman Steve Belkin as managing partner.
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Allan van Gestel granted Belkin's request for a temporary injunction, saying a contract signed by all the owners last year prevents the group from voting him out.
It was unclear whether the other owners would scrap plans for a Tuesday vote to replace Belkin, who owns 30 percent of the franchise, with co-owner Michael Gearon Jr.
Belkin is part of the nine-member Atlanta Spirit LLC group, which also owns the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers and the operating rights to Philips Arena.
The dispute stems from Belkin's refusal to approve a sign-and-trade deal for the Hawks to acquire guard Joe Johnson from the Phoenix Suns. As the team's NBA governor, Belkin must sign off on all trades.
The ruling, which extends indefinitely a temporary restraining order obtained by Belkin last week, can be appealed to a higher court. The judge said Belkin's refusal to sign on to the Johnson deal was not grounds for his removal under the contract.
"It is hardly apparent on the present record that the deal for Johnson, however talented he may be ... is in the economic best interest of the franchise," the judge wrote. "Sometimes the cost is just too great."
The five-year contract the Hawks offered Johnson -- worth about $70 million, including $20 million for the first year -- would have made him the team's highest-paid player. Atlanta would also give Phoenix two first-round picks, second-year guard Boris Diaw and a $4.9 million trade exception.
"Steve Belkin simply thinks that's too much to pay for Joe Johnson," Belkin's lawyer, John Fabiano, told the judge.
The feud between the owners has overshadowed attempts in the offseason to improve the team with the fewest wins in the NBA last season.
Attorney James W. Quinn, who represents the other owners, compared the Joe Johnson deal to the Celtics' acquisition of Hall of Famer Larry Bird, which led to three NBA titles for Boston in the 1980s.
"This transaction -- the Joe Johnson transaction -- is one that is critical to the future of the Atlanta Hawks," he said.
Johnson, a five-year veteran who has played for Boston and Phoenix, averaged 17.1 points per game for the Suns last season.
The team's vice president for basketball, former NBA star Dominique Wilkins, said after the hearing that he found it "unbelievable" that Belkin would try to block the trade.
"As a basketball player, we know this game, and this deal makes sense to us, plain and simple," he said.
General Manager Billy Knight also attended Tuesday's hearing. When Belkin approached him in court, Knight refused to shake his hand.
"This is what everybody wants -- what our city wants, what our franchise wants, what our fans want," Wilkins said. "I think it's what our fans have been waiting for."
The team's Washington-based owners, including Bruce Levenson and Ed Peskowitz, own 40 percent of the Hawks, while Atlanta-based owners, including Gearon and Rutherford Seydel, own 30 percent.
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