A representative of prospective Hawks owner David McDavid was consulted before the team completed the trade of forward Glenn Robinson Wednesday night.

Steve Dieb, McDavid's business partner and brother-in-law, spoke by phone several times Wednesday with Hawks president Stan Kasten and interim general manager Billy Knight about the trade.

AOL Time Warner is in the final stage of the protracted process of selling the Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena operating rights to McDavid, a Texas auto dealer. While decisions regarding the teams continue to be made by current management and ownership, McDavid's camp recently has been brought into the loop on possible major moves as they develop.

About the Robinson trade, which will clear approximately $11 million in salary cap room for the Hawks, the prospective new ownership shared the enthusiasm of current management. Robinson's mammoth contract had been considered difficult, if not impossible, to unload.

"For Billy and Stan to pull this off --- and I don't think anybody thought they could do it --- my hat's off to them," Dieb said from Dallas Wednesday night. "In the long run, it's going to be great for the team," which previously was hamstrung by its capped and top-heavy payroll.