The Hawks' promotion of Basketball HOFer Dominique Wilkins yesterday makes him the “public face of the franchise,” while Assistant GM Wes Wilcox will now be the “man behind the scenes tasked with keeping things oiled and running” following offseason scandals surrounding the club, according to Michael Wallace of ESPN.com. Wilkins was named Special Adviser to Hawks CEO Steve Koonin and now “carries more weight as a steadying force on an executive level for
the next potential ownership group," while also continuing to serve as a "diplomatic presence throughout Atlanta.” Following GM Danny Ferry taking a leave of absence, Mike Budenholzer was "granted complete direction of the team" as both coach and interim GM. Budenholzer said, "We want to do this collaboratively. Hopefully, together we can make good decisions." Wallace noted the Hawks are a club “regrouping in stages and on various fronts” stemming from Managing Partner Bruce Levenson's decision to sell after the emergence of a racial-charged e-mail. A source said that the Hawks will “progress toward a sale by December at a potential price that could be well more” than the $550M the Bucks sold for in April. Wallace noted team officials “privately credit” Ferry for “leaving the Hawks roster in solid position prior to the controversy.” Still, several prominent NBA agents have “raised concerns about the front-office structure and decision-making process within the Hawks moving into the season.” But Budenholzer “downplays the demands of his dual role.” Budenholzer said, "I feel like there's not a huge difference, to be honest with you. Preparing for camp and little things that needed to be decided -- who's coming, who's not, where we're staying -- so there's a few of those conversations that impact my day. A few more people are probably coming into my office than prior. It gives me a comfort level when I think I've been involved in a (Spurs) program where the assistants and coaches have had a lot of input" (ESPN.com, 9/30).
