10:20 am November 26, 2011, by Michael Cunningham
Stayed up until the wee hours anticipating an end to the lockout. And so of course the news didn’t break until like 3 a.m.David Stern, Billy Hunter and deputy commish Adam Silver emerged some three hours later to announce a tentative labor agreement.
No word yet on details of the agreement (and what it will mean for the Hawks’ shaky cap/tax situation). But the goal is to open training camps and free agency on Dec. 9 and play a 66-game regular season starting on Dec. 25. The Hawks are scheduled to play at New Jersey on Dec. 27 but word is the schedule will be reset much like it was at the end of the last lockout.
NBA team personnel will not allowed to speak publicly until the deal is officially ratified. That won’t happen until Stern gets the owners on board and the players re-form the union and take a vote.
(Update: Chris Sheridan has some details of what made it in the final deal.)
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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95 comments Add your comment
terrell
November 26th, 2011
5:43 pm
Call Marvin and tell him to get his azz off the couch. lol
terrell
November 26th, 2011
5:46 pm
Let the Coach search begin. Oh yeah, forget about LD. Bummer.
terrell
November 26th, 2011
5:50 pm
Only if we had an OWNER.
niremetal
November 26th, 2011
6:26 pm
JSS,
You knew you hadn’t gotten rid of me forever
MC,
I think training camp will be a revelation. I have a distinct feeling that more than a few players fell into that trap. Kemp was merely the most egregious example back in ‘99. It seemed like the whole league was out of shape, which is why the pace was so slow and the scoring so tepid that year…
JSS
November 26th, 2011
6:38 pm
@ niremetal, after having to reading blogs about crazy people and folks girlfriends, I feel like Tiny Tim once Scrooge finally got the real meaning of the Christmas Spirit (DASG)!
Blast
November 26th, 2011
6:58 pm
Good news, though I knew all along the greedy owners would not lose the season. Sigh. Back to all the complaining. But welcome back, basketball!
Interesting news on Kemp. Knew getting fat ruined his career, didn’t know he got fat because of the lockout. That could be a huge concern for players.
Amnesty clause? Dump Marvin. Easy choice.
Let’s go, Hawks!
Rod from College Park
November 26th, 2011
7:52 pm
Amnesty, cut, trade, release Marvin. I would like to see us go after Tayshaun Prince.
Basketball Jones
November 26th, 2011
7:58 pm
They apparently did not address the real problems with NBA. These long term guaranteed Max contracts and unproven teenage prospects that teams have to take chances on are the reasons it is the same teams at the top year after year. Boring!
UGA
November 26th, 2011
8:13 pm
I really like what the Hawks have. Teague is the X factor, if he plays like he did in the playoffs, uh oh. Don’t know if we should trade Smoove. If we amnesty Marvin, that could free us up to sign a Dalembert. I think Crawford is gone unfortunately. Do the amnesty thing, sign Josh Howard or Vince Carter even Michael Redd, get Dalembert.
ryan
November 26th, 2011
8:32 pm
Damn now were going suffer through the ASG the way the can make up with fans is make a big trade which i doubt will happen .
Astro Joe
November 26th, 2011
9:03 pm
Hopeful news for sure. Interesting to read some of the concessions, starting with the “Melo Rule” which can only apply to a handful of truly elite players. Kind of strange that the players would hold out in part to help out maybe 3% of their fellow union members.
Oh well. Let the Games Begin!
HERE'S THE PLAN, D*MNIT!
November 26th, 2011
9:23 pm
Let Crawford walk (but thanks for everything, JC!)
Amnesty Marvin
Keep Josh
Sign a veteran SF (Hill, Battier, Prince, etc)
Trade Hinrich for as many bodies as you can get.
Done and done.
Worldwide Clyde
November 26th, 2011
9:26 pm
I’m ready for Najeh to crank up that Sekou Bloggers fantasy league. I know yall didn’t have a draft without me.
Another year with the Spirit Group. SMGDH. I guess I will be stuck watching the games on the internet like I did last year.
FIRE SUND
GM Sale
November 26th, 2011
9:26 pm
MC, all: Long time reader, Atlanta ex-pat and Hawks fan; first time poster. I couldn’t be more excited for the prospect of a 2011-12 season. I make it home to ATL from NYC for 4-5 games per season. Here’s hoping the revised schedule results in some sick Saturday matchups at the HF. Holler.
SteveW
November 26th, 2011
9:37 pm
We’re still owned by ASG
We’re still near or at the cap
We’re still Coached by Larry Drew
We will not sign any significant FA’s
Our players will be:
Center – Al and ZaZa
PF – Smoove and Kito
SF – Marvin and Damien
G’s – JJ, Hinrich, Teague
That’s 9 guys with the rest being the DLeague, 2nd round, camp invite types, unless a Vet slips our way.
The Lockout may be over, but let’s live in the real world guys.
SteveW
November 26th, 2011
9:40 pm
My over/under on Larry is 20 games – then he’s gone.
Unless he’s been getting good lessons from a real NBA Coach during the offseason.
And I’m not crowning the Heat just yet either. I think a young team, like the Thunder, Grizzlies, or the Bulls may win it all this year. And the Lakers, Celts, and Mavs will be in the hunt also.
SteveW
November 26th, 2011
9:42 pm
With ASG, no way we amnesty Marvin I guess. Or Hinrich. They’re not paying anybody for not playing or being on the team. Not happening unless some of those guys with ASG, Levin, Gearon and the like have gotten in on some of this bailout action we’ve been giving the elite in this country.
PLEASE
November 26th, 2011
9:53 pm
This is terrible news! Hopefully the new labor agreement has the Hawks moving to Winnipeg
A concerned fan..
November 26th, 2011
9:57 pm
From what I heard after the failed attempt of selling the hawks to muerelo (however you spell his name, lol) is that ASG is fully commited to bringing a championship to the ATL. Let’s hope those words are true. #Let’sGoHawks!
SteveW
November 26th, 2011
10:14 pm
I forgot Jason Collins probably comes back to ATL also.
I don’t think Jamal comes back under any circumstances. Somebody is going going to vastly overpay for him. But I don’t think it will be ATL
Najeh Davenpoop
November 26th, 2011
10:37 pm
” ASG is fully commited to bringing a championship to the ATL. Let’s hope those words are true. ”
Haha good one.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 26th, 2011
10:38 pm
“I’m ready for Najeh to crank up that Sekou Bloggers fantasy league. I know yall didn’t have a draft without me.”
I wasn’t the commish, but to whoever was, I’m ready for fantasy bball too.
cdog
November 26th, 2011
10:42 pm
who cares, atlanta is not losersville anymore. that has long gone. every team in atlanta is a winner.we haven’t won a championship but we are winners, over .500 or better.even the dream.they played for the title, remember? you have your losing cities mixed up
cdog
November 26th, 2011
10:44 pm
i haven’t criticized rick sund in a long time.sund or whoever, lets put the dissapointments to waste, lets do whatever it takes to bring in dwight howard.with him, we have championship hopes this season.
Grandmaster JeJe
November 26th, 2011
11:09 pm
Bring Dwight Howard here. Offer any 2 players on this roster for him.
In my opinion, he is the Most Valuable Player in the NBA, and he should have at least 2 trophies to show. Take him off Orlando, and that team would struggle to beat some College teams.
Grandmaster JeJe
November 26th, 2011
11:12 pm
MIX UP THE CORE THIS SEASON
DO NOT GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS WITH THE SAME DAMN 4-5 PLAYER CORE.
MARVIN/HORFORD/JOSH/JOE WILL NOT WIN YOU A RING
HOW MANY MORE TIMES DO I AND THE REST OF YOU PEOPLE HAVE TO KEEP SAYING THIS CRAP.
HOW HAVE WE HAD THE EXACT SAME DAMN CORE FOR 6 FREAKING YEARS NOW.
THAT’S RIGHT. WE’VE HAD THE SAME DAMN STARTING LINEUP (PG POSITION DOESN’T COUNT THAT MUCH) FOR A BAJILLION YEARS IN A ROW AND HAVE NOTHING TO PROVE FOR IT
ASG SELL THE TEAM ALREADY
Grandmaster JeJe
November 26th, 2011
11:13 pm
PG POSITION DOESN’T WEIGH AS HEAVILY BECAUSE WE HAVEN’T REALLY HAD A STAR AT THE 1
doc
November 26th, 2011
11:24 pm
cajt wait to read up on this more. literally om the road and hope tye proverbial rug isnt pulled out again.
at least some sanity somewhere in the group
Rev in Tampa
November 26th, 2011
11:25 pm
I co-sign SteveW’s 9:37 & 9:40 comments except for his opinion that the Celts will be in the championship hunt. They are finally too old. Maybe a shortened season might help them but they will not make it past the first round.
Rev in Tampa
November 26th, 2011
11:30 pm
@doc (11:24pm) – I always thought that it was the doctor’s handwriting that make them so hard to read, but I see it applies to their typing as well.
FreshFromATL
November 26th, 2011
11:43 pm
Lol, although the blog was shut down for a few months, I see some of you dudes have picked right up where y’all left off.
EmirS.
November 26th, 2011
11:51 pm
AWESOME!
Wow it feels like its been forever……
I MUS WRITE
November 27th, 2011
12:07 am
Good News ……….Good News indeed……..
Najeh Davenpoop
November 27th, 2011
1:02 am
“I co-sign SteveW’s 9:37 & 9:40 comments except for his opinion that the Celts will be in the championship hunt. They are finally too old. Maybe a shortened season might help them but they will not make it past the first round.”
You may be right that they are too old, but I do think the shortened season is really going to help teams like them, the Lakers, and San Antonio who are on the old side. Those veterans are going to be so much more fresh and so much less banged up when the playoffs start. I think it hurts a team like Memphis who got to the second round last year in large part because they were younger/quicker/more athletic than their opponents.
doc
November 27th, 2011
1:58 am
iphonelexia rev
nire agree, not too pleased about 66 game schedule
oh well
NBA owners get financial concessions they wanted – San Francisco Chronicle | Just Top News – Daily News Magazine
November 27th, 2011
3:40 am
[...] is back in business, with a new labor deal that heavily favors the owners, despite some …Atlanta Hawks: Tentative deal reached to end lockoutAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 2,787 news [...]
doc
November 27th, 2011
8:29 am
nice article from the nytimes
it points out well that the disparity still resides in revenue sharing if owners really want parity, there is a sad and striking disparity between the haves and have nots that will always be there to get the best coachrs and gm’s that truly are part of long term successes even though they say it is a players league. it goes on to point out free agency will be a farce in my oponion and schedules will not allow fans already footing the bill for the strike in season ticket revenues wil be shorted once again as they are not assured they will have the oportunity to see all the best players and teams in our case in atl the west. no fan should think on sny way they were a true consideration except for lip service.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/sports/basketball/nba-and-basketball-players-reach-deal-to-end-lockout.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha27
Dawg
November 27th, 2011
8:39 am
SteveW: Best post of the day. We are still the same Hawks with the same ill-constructed team with the same budget.
Astro Joe
November 27th, 2011
11:58 am
doc, the NYT article confirmed what I was saying a few days ago. The final issues weren’t about the size of the dollar but more about the denominations of the coins. I couldn’t get too militant about issues like that.
I hope that the Hawks had a few extra scouts checking out the international leagues for the past few months. LD and his staff conceivably could have been over there checking out the talent considering the need to sign “fillers” on the backend of the roster.
And I wouldn’t expect Jason Collins to return, my prediction is that a contender will offer him a better contract to defend Howard in the playoffs.
EmirS.
November 27th, 2011
12:30 pm
Yea I can see Jason Collins going to the Bulls or Heat to defend Dwight Howard in the playoffs. That’s if he’s still in the East.
But don’t be surprised if whatever team has Dwight….they pick up Collins to.
cp
November 27th, 2011
12:38 pm
Are we going to have another season of Nique calling games? He says some funny things at times, although unintentional, but I just couldn’t listen to him near the end of last season.
Do any of the guys the Hawks had in for that mini camp have opt out clauses? If so I wouldn’t be shocked to see two of those guys make the team. I know Joel Alexander really wanted to sign..
I don’t expect much out of Marvin but I think they will see if he plays better with a healed back. If not then they will probably put him on the trading block again before maybe using the amnesty clause.
doc
November 27th, 2011
1:00 pm
astro again competition issue will only be impacted by true revenue sharing which that article described as well. this was mot about competitve balance but aneffort of the magician to make you take your eye away from the trick bait and switch. now each team will have 10 to 15 mil more on estimate to make money not be competitive. this was about not killing the cash cow. as long as the knicks and lakers can roll in the money they can afford to stack it any way they want if competent. this is mlb not nfl way of dealing with inequities.
doc
November 27th, 2011
1:09 pm
it boioed down to the usual playees not wanting to lose a full season of income while saving face to the incoming players over the length of the contract which i am sure you noticed can be renegotiated in six years.
the owners protected their own with an extra ten mil a year to keep from gong under while keeping their books safe and anti-trust status unchallanged.
we all knew these issues and the outcome back in the summer but fans get hosed and the support staff gets no return of lost wages much mre imprtant to them as their margins of financial health are much slimmer than any ownership groups or indiblviduals.
Michael Cunningham
November 27th, 2011
1:10 pm
New blog is posted. Shutting down this thread.
J
November 28th, 2011
12:12 pm
get the UGA jokers off this blog