With Seattle likely stuck with trying to relocate another team to their new proposed arena, the Sacramento Kings seem like the perfect targets. The team has already been in danger of relocating in the past year and was only saved from being moved when the NBA rejected the Anaheim proposal last year. But Sacramento has fought to keep their team, and a plan appears to be in place to save them from going anywhere.
In a joint statement released Wednesday, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and NBA Commissioner David Stern said they have agreed to a "work plan" in hopes of reaching a deal to finance a new Sacramento arena by a March 1 deadline.
Johnson, Stern and the Maloof family, which owns the Kings, will meet this weekend in Orlando, Fla.
The arena vote has also been delayed.
Sacramento city officials announced they canceled their planned Feb. 28 City Council hearing on the arena deal, and tentatively moved the council date to March 6. Officials said they are switching the council date to avoid springing a major deal on council members and the public at the last minute, without giving them a chance to digest and discuss it.
So it looks as if the NBA and Sacramento are going to get this worked out in time. If Seattle wants an NBA franchise, they might have to look elsewhere. The immediate candidate is New Orleans, but is the NBA willing to lose that foothold in that devastated city?
To talk about the NBA in Seattle with Kings fans, head on over to Sactown Royalty.