On the heels of a first-round-exit against the deteriorating Indiana Pacers, both the Hawks franchise and their fans remained confident about the future. Rookie head coach Mike Budenholzer had developed a pass-first mentality in his players over the course of the season, a far cry from the isolation-centric offenses prominent in years past. With a relatively quiet offseason nearing its end, the Hawks were nearing training camp when they were catapulted back into the media spotlight for all of the wrong reasons.

In early September, a letter written by minority owner Michael Gearon Jr. revealed that general manager Danny Ferry had reportedly made disparaging comments about free agent Luol Deng, including:

He has a little African in him, not in a bad way, but he’s a guy who would have a nice store out front, but sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back.

Although it was later confirmed that Ferry was reading from a scouting report and not giving his own opinion of Deng, the damage had already been done.

Had this scandal been revealed a few years prior, there is a good chance that a public apology from Ferry would have been enough to appease the critics. Unfortunately, this incident occurred in the wake of Donald Sterling being removed from ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers for racist comments recorded on tape. Of course, had this incident occurred in an organization in which the owners refrained from constantly battling each other, the matter would likely have been handled internally.

Michael Gearon Jr. has long feuded with both Danny Ferry and majority owner Bruce Levenson. So when Gearon saw a chance to get rid of him, he took it. After Ferry’s comments were uncovered, an independent team of reviewers hired to investigate found additional racial comments in Levenson’s emails. It appeared that more than just Ferry would be on the way out.

Ferry opted to take an indefinite leave of absence on Sept. 13, 2014, leaving Budenholzer in charge of basketball operations as well as his normal coaching duties. Very little has been heard about the future of Ferry since his leave, as the management seems determined to keep the focus on basketball rather than politics. However, with the Atlanta Hawks franchise up for sale and likely changing ownership before the next season, something must be determined about Ferry’s fate.

With new ownership on its way in, there is a good chance that they completely cut ties with Danny Ferry in a PR effort to enhance their image. With the turmoil and divisiveness that currently exists between owners, it might be desirable to begin a new era of the Atlanta Hawks in which there is unity and cohesiveness on the road to winning a title.

But Danny Ferry already launched the new era.

Coming from the San Antonio Spurs front office, Ferry knew that character, teamwork, and continuity were vital to building a culture of success. Over the course of a few years he molded the Atlanta Hawks into a contender, and now watches from home as the team he built is taking the league by storm.

A new ownership team removing the people and mentality that made the Hawks great would be very disheartening. This Hawks team boasts the most wins in franchise history along with the most entertaining play they have showcased in decades. Removing the architect of this Hawks squad from power could easily toss the team back into mediocrity.

Despite Ferry’s comments, Atlanta Hawks players have come forward and said that they would welcome him back. In a January conversation on The Dan Patrick Show, Al Horford said that he would welcome Ferry back as GM. DeMarre Carroll appeared on Around the NBA and said that he would also welcome back Danny Ferry, as he didn’t believe Ferry was a racist. Even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated that he did not believe Ferry’s actions were reason for termination.

As it stands, Ferry’s fate is largely undetermined and is likely to remain that way until the sale of the Atlanta Hawks franchise concludes. Whether or not he resumes his position with the Hawks, his career as an NBA GM will continue somewhere, as his track record cannot be ignored.

Permanently terminating Ferry would be taking a massive step backward. Many different franchises would surely hire the mastermind behind the Atlanta Hawks to lead their organization to a resurgence. In a few months, Danny Ferry will have a job in the NBA, and the Hawks need to ensure it is with them.