Now that the Hawks' ownership situation is settled, pending NBA approval, more immediate attention can be turned back to matters on the floor.

The ball is in the Hawks' court regarding restricted free agent point guard Jason Terry, after he signed a three-year, $22.5 million offer sheet with the Utah Jazz, and the clock is ticking --- training camp starts in eight days and the Hawks have only three days to match Utah's offer.

Though Terry said the Jazz's front-loaded contract --- he is expected to earn $8 million in the first year --- would be difficult to match, Hawks general manager Billy Knight said the team would do just that --- a decision the new ownership group supported at last Tuesday's news conference.

And, with only nine players under contract, the Hawks really can't afford to let Terry go.

Knight said last week that since the team knows Terry's price tag, it can finally begin the process of adding the final pieces to the roster, and budget accordingly, before training camp begins in eight days. By matching Terry's offer sheet, the Hawks' payroll next season will be about $51 million (once Terrell Brandon's $11.1 million contract comes off the books in February).

"I'm glad it's over, one way or another," Knight said about Terry's contract situation. "That helps you know where you are. Before, you didn't know."

The team still needs starters at small forward and shooting guard. No franchise saviors are available this late in the game, but Stephen Jackson, Steve Smith, Dion Glover and Raja Bell give the team a few options to at least have a full team. It's just a matter of fitting in those players while remaining under the luxury tax threshold (expected to be about $57 million) --- the main reason the Hawks dealt leading scorer Glenn Robinson for Brandon's contract.