The Joe Johnson saga moves to Atlanta Hawks co-owner Steve Belkin's hometown court today in Boston, where litigation prolongs two NBA front offices' frustration.

A ruling this morning could strip Belkin's power as the Hawks' NBA governor. If so, the Johnson trade to which the Suns agreed July 31 could become a reality today.

Belkin, who has a 30 percent ownership stake, blocked a deal that would send Johnson to Atlanta for guard Boris Diaw, two first-round picks with lottery protections and a $4.9 million trade exception. When Belkin learned last week that his co-owners planned to remove him as governor, he received a temporary restraining order in Suffolk County (Mass.) Superior Court.

Belkin seeks a preliminary injunction against his co-owners, who back the trade. Atlanta's eight other owners hope to prove Belkin's refusal to sign off on a trade is a legally binding action against the wishes of the partnership's majority.

"All of us on the inside understand (Belkin's position) is a ploy," Hawks General Manager Billy Knight told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It has nothing to do with the trade itself. It has nothing to do with the terms of the trade. He has told me a number of times, in meetings and in private, that he would like to keep the payroll at the bare minimum - not sign free agents.

"He (Johnson) is a big-time player who wants to come to Atlanta. That's a powerful message when he wants to play with us. For someone to try to waylay that and get in the way of that - to me, it's unforgivable."

Belkin has said his problem is giving up two first-round picks, not the $69.6 million offer the Hawks made to Johnson.