[The Scare Crow ReturnsParticipant]

 Four years after the Sonics left town, Seattle’s again hoping that it will have a team, and soon. The issue, then as now, is a new arena. The Commish will not even have a meeting with you if you don’t have a new arena in your back pocket. And Christopher Hansen, a hedge fund manager from San Francisco and a Seattle native, thinks he can get a building built in downtown Seattle. He’s bought land in downtown, near where the NFL’s Seahawks and MLB’s Mariners play. NBA.com 

The reason Hansen’s plan is relevant is that the Kings and the city of Sacramento have two and a half weeks to come up with their own plan for a new building in downtown Sacramento. If they can’t reach agreement, the Kings would be a team without an arena, leaving the team’s owners, the Maloof Family, with a hard decision: stay at Power Balance Pavilion, which can’t produce enough revenue; sell, which the principal owners, Joe and Gavin Maloof, are dead set against, or move the team. Somewhere. NBA.com 



This time, Hansen has enlisted the help of Seattle’s mayor, Mike McGinn, who said last week that no city taxes would be used to finance a new arena, though there is local skepticism about that pledge. "They are really engaged," the source said. "Doing all the things right that were done wrong previously … it feels like this is a really well thought-out, really sophisticated plan."NBA.com 



The Kings have enough local support in Sacramento. The problem is money. Where does the $400 million to build a new arena in Sacramento come from? After the Maloofs nearly left town for Anaheim last year, the NBA gave Sacramento until March 1 to come up with a plan for a new arena to replace Power Balance (formerly ARCO Arena). The Kings had agreed to a deal with Anaheim where Henry Samueli, the owner of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, would give the Kings $75 million in relocation money and for improvements to the Honda Center, where the Ducks play and where the Kings would have been a tenant. NBA.com 



Two people involved in the process said the same thing independent of one another last week: Seattle is going forward with its arena plan whether or not the Kings become available next month. The idea is for the NBA to have no choice the next time a team is sold or is interested in moving; with a new building, Seattle folk believe their city will vault to the top of the relocation list, ahead of towns like Kansas City that already have NBA-ready arenas built. (Kansas City’s Sprint Center was built by the arena-building arm of AEG, the mega-corporation run by billionaire Phillip Anschutz, who owns Staples Center and a share of the Lakers.) In this vein, Seattle views its opponent as Anaheim, not Sacramento. NBA.com 

Read more: http://www.insidehoops.com/nba_rumors.shtml#ixzz1mQi43PJY

[JaeEvolutionParticipant]

Like it said Hansen is going to build a new arena regardless so whenever a team has to relocate Seattle is a top spot. Washington wants a team again, and Key Arena could suffice until the new arena is built, things would have to go our way but I see it as a definite possibility.

[Dale WorthingtonParticipant]

I don’t understand why they moved in the first place.

Seattle is a great city. Otherwise, Kansas City would be an excellent choice (smack dab between the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas). Shouts out to The Assassination of Jesse James.

[Jlv2012]

process of getting their arena.  It will get done.  The fact that Seattle doesn’t have a new arena sets them back alot.  There are a list of cities already in front of them with ready arenas.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

A team can go to Seattle but the "Sonics" never will.

[WeavvvParticipant]

RIP Seattle SuperSonics. BTW, Key Arena is still a better arena than what most of these "other cities" have waiting for an NBA team to move into. Not having a new arena in Seattle isn’t putting them behind anybody "in line."
If and when relocation/expansion is realistic, Seattle will be the #1 destination. Besides something wacky like the Kings trying to go to SoCal or Vegas. 

[omphalosParticipant]

I thought the rights to the name "Supersonics" was retained by the city of Seattle after the move, but none of the other historical aspects.

[apb540Participant]

I’d love to see a team go to Seattle. Good-bye NO Hornets, hello Seattle SuperSonics (again).

[HitsterParticipant]

Having followed the Sacramento saga for a while, can someone explain what is the issue with the Power Balance Pavilion as the Kings cannot fill it at the moment or do they need to hit a certain crowd level to break even and the current arena cannot accomodate that much or lacks the luxury hospitality boxes that a new arena may carry?

If Seattle could get a new Arena built then they could well put together a consortium to maybe buy the Hornets, the NBA need a sale and they may come cheaper than the Kings.

I would have mixed feelings about a team inheriting the Sonics moniker, personally if the Kings did move then they should keep that tag as King County is in that state.

[aamir543Participant]

Well, if we do indeed add another team, we would have to contract another team. We don’t need more teams, infact, if the opportunity arises, than I believe taht we should contract.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

aamir

I don’t think anybody it talking about adding more teams to the league.

[DolanCareParticipant]

Never been to Seattle, but it seems like Washington has a great basketball culture. The Huskies and Cougars are solid programs, and I consistently see HS prospects coming from Wash state.

Time for Seattle to get their team back IMO.

[Author]

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