Judge: Atlanta Can Do One-Year Deals While Owners Feud
7th July, 2006 - 1:27 am

ESPN - The Maryland judge who last month ruled Steve Belkin is entitled to buy the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers from his former co-owners added a new twist to the ongoing feud Thursday, the Associated Press is reporting.

Montgomery County (Md.) Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson ruled the current ownership and management team should retain control while the appeals are heard. But the good news for the Atlanta Spirit group also included the judge's stipulation that will prevent the Hawks or Thrashers from signing a free agent to a contract longer than one year.

The stipulation doesn't relate to negotiations with draft picks for either team.

The ruling also doesn't affect any negotiations already under way, including the Hawks' agreement to sign free agent point guard Speedy Claxton. The deal, believed to be for four years, cannot be officially announced before Wednesday.

The judge ordered that the other owners can't "initiate the purchase, sale, trade or negotiation of any NBA or NHL player contract ... excluding contracts involving present or future draft picks and contracts for any other player with a contract duration of one year or less."

The ruling would appear to put the Hawks and Thrashers at a significant competitive disadvantage in their ability to attract free agents. [READ]