ATLANTA, Georgia, 13 August 2003 — With the uncertainty of a pending sale, the Atlanta Hawks have retained general manager Billy Knight and coach Terry Stotts for the 2003-04 season.
The announcement was made by Hawks president Stan Kasten on Monday.
A decision on the positions of Knight and Stotts had been delayed due to the proposed sale of the team from AOL Time Warner to Texas businessman David McDavid, who was given exclusive negotiating rights to purchase the Hawks and the National Hockey League’s Atlanta Thrashers in April. The sale has yet to be completed.
Knight was conducting business as if he planned to return all along, but Stotts had been given permission to talk to other teams.
Stotts was a finalist for the coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he once served as an assistant, but lost out to Terry Porter. He also interviewed for the Philadelphia 76ers’ coaching job which went to Randy Ayers.
Meanwhile, Knight made a fiscally wise move for ownership, sending two-time All-Star forward Glenn Robinson to the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-team trade last month. Knight acquired injured point guard Terrell Brandon, the rights to forward Randy Holcomb and a first-round pick in the deal.
Brandon’s salary will be off the payroll by this time next year, giving the Hawks more flexibility to rebuild.
