Sacramento Kings moving franchise to the OC, CA.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20130429/kings-sacramento-seattle-david-stern/

 

Chris Hansen, the guy trying to move them to Seattle, isn't going away. Sacramento kept the Kings by putting together a group that matched Hansen's $550M offer.

Hansen is upping his bid to $625M.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/05/10/2592485/chris-hansen-increases-seattles.html

 

Just setting the bar for an expansion team.

 

I am?

 

$625 million and an unlimited supply of cookies and lemonade.

 

Fixed.

 

He would like David Stern to have a seat right over there.

 

Been to KeyArena several times within the past decade. Arena was definitely showing its age (it was built in the mid 1960s), upgrades not withstanding. It was OK as a temporary fix, but the city leaders needed to be at least in the planning stages for a long-term answer.

 

Maloofs reportedly reached a backup deal with Hansen and Ballmer to sell a 20 percent stake in team for $125 million if sale of controlling stake and relocation isn't approved. Maloofs also won't sell to Ranadive-led group. Hansen also has proposed paying a $115 million relocation fee.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9265605/sources-maloof-family-cuts-new-deal-sacramento-kings

 

Considering the lengths the NBA has gone through for Sacramento, and the seriousness of the money in Seattle - I'm thinking Seattle gets an expansion team (if only to avoid the lawsuits) See Devil Rays, Tampa Bay. The Giants were all but gone, if not for a last minute deal. And voila, Tampa got an expansion team (that still doesn't draw flies).

 

I think (and hope) you're probably right... As a Giants fan, people forget how close that St. Pete deal was to happening... I think Hansen is likely showing the league how serious he is so Seattle gets an expansion team, but I don't think the league is going to budge on this one... At least I hope not...

 

But the Maloofs say they are only going to sell to the Seattle group. And if the $125M cash infusion is enough to let them square their books and keep ownership now, then Sacramento is going to be buiding an arena for and continuing to do business with the Maloofs, which people really don't want to do.

And it is the Maloofs' call. The NBA doesn't have an antitrust exemption that would allow them to reject the sale to the Hansens and order the Maloofs to take less money the way MLB did with the Giants.