November 02, 2007
Sonics owner asks NBA to okay move
As promised, Seattle Sonics owner Clay Bennett today asked the NBA for permission to move to Oklahoma City. Bennett's press statement (PDF here) actually reads: "Today we notified [NBA] Commissioner [David] Stern that we intend to relocate the Sonics to Oklahoma City if we succeed in the pending litigation with the City, or are able to negotiate an early lease termination, or at the end of the lease term." (He said the Storm WNBA franchise may stay put, though.)
All the qualifications are necessary because Bennett and the city disagree over whether he can be bound to keep the team in Seattle through the end of its lease in 2010. Earlier this week, a Seattle judge ruled that the dispute should be settled in court, not before an arbitrator as Bennett wanted.
Bennett's announcement came just hours after a Seattle investment counselor said he and a group of unnamed investors want to buy the two teams and keep them in Seattle. If that reminds you of something, me too. Heck, me three.
As for what all this means for the Seattle arena battle, probably not a whole heckuva lot, except that the clock is now ticking, even if the deadline is still unclear. Gov. Christine Gregoire said this week she's still working on an arena plan, without getting into specifics. There's a whole lot of staredown left to go in this fight.
UPDATE: The Oklahoman conducted an interview with Bennett on Friday that included the following exchange:
Q: What happens after 2010?
A: We're free to relocate.
Q: Is that the plan?
A: Without a new building, that's the plan.
Q: Is there anything between now and then that can stop the team from relocating or change your mind?
A: If very soon there was a leadership driven, tangible, binding proposal relative to the development of a modern building, and we are able to negotiate acceptable lease terms in that building, we would fully evaluate that. But the timing is running out on that very quickly.
Translation: My door is still open, Seattle, if your wallets are, too.
