The Hawks have watched their competition in the Eastern Conference improve, but they are in no rush to make a hasty move.

According to a league source, the Hawks are content with their current roster.

"You always have to look to get better, especially if you're not of a Laker or Boston character," coach Larry Drew said. "...I don't know that it means that we're panicking and we do anything. We have to always entertain the fact, 'Can we do something to make our team better?' We can never be satisfied and that's what our upper branch is doing."

Atlanta is 19-12 despite losing Joe Johnson for nine games following elbow surgery.

"Anything is possible, anything can happen," Jamal Crawford said. "But they've been so committed to the core guys here. Miami made all these changes and Boston made changes. We really stayed pat for the most part."

Michael Gearon and Bruce Levenson have emerged as the lead owners of the Hawks and Thrashers following a long legal battle and ownership split.

Gearon and Levenson have purchased Boston-based Steve Belkin's 30-percent share of the NBA Hawks, NHL Thrashers and Philips Arena.

"At the end of the day we had a business partner we were in a dispute with and we settled that matter," Levenson said.

The ownership split began in 2005 over Belkin's objection to the Hawks' trade of Boris Diaw, two first-round draft picks and a $4.9 million trade exception to the Phoenix Suns for guard Joe Johnson.

Joe Johnson returned to Atlanta's lineup ahead of schedule, as he started Friday's game against the Bobcats.

“The therapy just went great, the swelling’s gone down,” Johnson said. “We’ve just been shooting (with) no pain. It’s just feeling great, so I just didn’t feel like it was necessary to wait another two weeks and leave the guys hanging out there like that when I can really get out there and give ‘em everything I got.”

Johnson had surgery to remove a loose body from his elbow at the beginning of December.

The Hawks won't have Jamal Crawford against the Celtics on Thursday night because of a sore back.

Crawford is Atlanta's fourth-leading scoring with 14.8 points per game.

The Trail Blazers inquired with the Hawks about the availability of Jamal Crawford, reports the Oregonian.

The paper cited a Portland player and another source within the organization.

Trail Blazers general manager Rich Cho wasn't successful in talks as the Hawks declined to discuss Crawford.

The Atlanta Hawks today signed guard/forward Damien Wilkins to a contract, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms were not disclosed.

Wilkins, 30, played in two preseason games with Memphis this year, averaging 2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 1.0 spg (.400 FG%).

Joe Johnson underwent successful surgery on his injured right elbow on Thursday.

The 25-minute procedure was performed by orthopedist Dr. James Andrews at a clinic in Pensacola, Fla.

Johnson is expected to miss four to six weeks.

After experiencing some discomfort in his right elbow on Tuesday, having an MRI later that afternoon, and visiting with Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham this morning, Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson is expected to miss four-to-six weeks of action following a surgical procedure to his right elbow.

Johnson has what is called ‘loose body’ in his elbow, and team medical officials have determined that he will need to have a arthroscopic procedure in the next few days to remove the loose body.  Dr. Andrews will handle the operation.