As was reported widely almost a month ago, Dallas businessman David McDavid has reached the point of exclusivity in dealings with AOL/Time Warner for the purpose of purchasing the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers.

RealGM has learned that employees of the Braves, Hawks, and Thrashers were sent an inter-company email from Turner Sports Teams COO Terry McGuirk that spoke to a letter of intent to sell the franchises, as well as operating rights to Philips Arena, and that while the sale is not final; a letter of intent to sell to McDavid has been signed.

Also, later tonight, the Atlanta Journal/Constitution was told by Turner Broadcasting spokesman Greg Hughes the same information regarding the letter of intent.

McDavid himself told the AJC, "I am thrilled about the prospect of owning such an esteemed collection of sports and entertainment properties as the Hawks, Thrashers and operating rights to Philips Arena. This is one big step in a long process and there still remains a lot of work to do before the deal is completed."

"However, I remain confident that the acquisition will come to fruition. My family has always had a love affair with the city of Atlanta due to the many friends and business associates of ours who live in the area. I have visited the city quite often and am amazed each time at the level of excitement generated by its professional sports teams."

"I plan to build on this excitement and help solidify Atlanta's reputation as the sports capital of the world."

Wayne Pace, chief financial officer of AOL Time Warner, said Tuesday that negotiations to sell the Hawks and Thrashers are "serious" and a deal could be done soon.

Billy Knight played 11 NBA seasons with five teams. He worked with the Indiana Pacers in community relations and as a TV analyst, assistant coach, director of player personnel and senior vice president. He was the Vancouver and Memphis Grizzlies' general manager for two years.

"I've been involved in almost every phase of the game," Knight said.

But at age 52 he has arrived at an unfamiliar spot. It's called temporary.

Michael Lee of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Jason Terry and Terry Stotts want to return to the team next season.

"You know I want to come back," Terry said. "That's my first and foremost goal --- to try to get something worked out [here]."

 "I spent four years here; I want to be a part of the rebuilding process," Terry said, "because it's like going to college and not finishing getting my degree. I set a goal, once I got to the league, to go to the playoffs. I want to get to the championship --- and I want to do that in Atlanta."

 Still, it is unclear as to whether or not that will happen.

 While the Hawks can match any offer for Terry, they will be cautious because they already have $50 million payroll committed for next season and might want to avoid paying the luxury tax.

 However, because many teams won?t have more than the Mid-Level Exception, which is expected to be valued between $4.6 and $5 million, to spend, it?s likely that Terry will be back in Atlanta if the Hawks want him to return.

 Unfortunately, the outlook doesn?t look good for coach Terry Stotts. Many have given him no chance to retain his job.

 Still, Stotts is hopeful that he will be brought back.

 "I know I would like to be given the opportunity to coach this team," said Stotts, who has a 25-30 record since replacing Lon Kruger. "I don't want to say I deserve it, because that doesn't sound right, but I think you could make a case that the team has grown. I think, together, we can grow some more next year.

"If the team fell apart, that would be one thing. But after we started off 3-12 [in Stotts' first 15 games], it could've gotten worse. We're building something."

Jeff Denberg of the AJC writes that Doc Rivers knows what it's like to struggle as a rookie coach, knows what's like to be a loser as well as a marginal winner. Rivers said you have to live it to understand it and respect the guys who fight adversity and do it well. He respects Hawks coach Terry Stotts.

"I like way he coaches, and I like the way his team plays," Rivers said before the Hawks ripped his Orlando Magic 100-84 Monday night. And while Rivers goes on to the playoffs, and Stotts and the Hawks close their season tonight in New Orleans, that doesn't diminish the turnaround the Hawks have made, Rivers said.

"What I like is he's taught those guys how to score. Believe me, that's hard. Some coaches grind it out every night. They don't want to let go, and that's not a fun way to play basketball,'' he said.

''Terry's got them out swinging it, and when you can play that way, it's a good game to play."

Rivers notes the Hawks weren't much until late in the season, "and then they became a pain the neck.

''They had a tough year. We all picked 'em to do better, and they didn't do it, but there's something here, no question, and you can see it from the way they're playing at the end of the season,'' he said.

"The big thing to me about their team is they have four core players -- Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Glenn Robinson, Theo Ratliff and Jason Terry -- to build with. Even a lot of the good teams don't have four core players. We added guys at midseason to try and get close. But they have 'em in place, and that's a heck of a place to start. We improved when we added Gordan Giricek and Drew Gooden, but they have four and we don't have that.

"Then Terry has done an excellent job of keeping them together. It could have been very easy for those guys to say . . . we're not going to the playoffs anyway, so who cares. But somebody's in there getting them to play, and I think they've done a heck of a job the last month because they've turned it around."

What does it mean when a 35-46 team turns it around like this, in the Hawks' case winning four in a row and six of seven? Rivers laughed.

"You don't know what the players are saying when they come along like this. But in this case, I think you have to give some to the coach because he got them running, and that was the key. That's who they are,'' he said.

"I don't stand around and watch coaches, but you can see that Terry is involved in this game. It would be easy for him to stand back and say, 'OK, let's wait til next year.'

"But he's coaching like he's going to the playoffs. He's intense, and the players have to get some of intensity from him."

RealGM's Jason Walker reports that at a time when the team is finishing on a roll, when the game means something to the opponents, if not themselves, it would seem that a 100-84 domination of the playoff bound Orlando Magic at home Monday night would find a happier locker room.

As such, this was not the case.

Oh, there weren?t tears, but there were words of uncertainty among the residents of the Hawks locker room, and it wasn?t from the reporters present.

?I just went out there and played as if it were my last game in a Hawks uniform,? said Jason Terry, who with a qualifying offer from the Hawks would be a restricted free agent this summer. ?The last two weeks have been pretty live in the arena, and I wanted to go out there and give them a great effort and a win.?

Michael Lee of the AJC writes: Before he joined his hometown Hawks in the summer of 2001, Shareef Abdur-Rahim was regarded as "the best player nobody knows."

It was a cool title but one that Abdur-Rahim hoped to banish after spending his first five seasons in Vancouver, a city so out of the NBA loop that the franchise actually sought refuge in Memphis.

After two seasons in Atlanta, Abdur-Rahim finally is known -- but not only for the reasons he would like.

Though his splendid gifts on the basketball court have been rewarded with an All-Star appearance and an Olympic gold medal, Abdur-Rahim also has endured more NBA losses than any other player -- 387 -- since he was chosen as the No. 3 overall pick in the 1996 draft.