As the Sacramento Kings' new arena deal with the city of Sacramento came to a crashing halt, it seemed like Seattle would be the first city with a chance to land the franchise. Strong fan base, proven track record and a starvation for a new team that's felt across the Northwest. Well, according to ESPN's Ric Bucher, Seattle might not even be the Kings' first choice. So who is in the way? None other than...
Vancouver.
Yes, Vancouver. The same city that formerly had the now-Memphis Grizzlies is seen by Bucher as the frontrunner for the Kings. He sat down with the former voice of the Sonics, Kevin Calabro on "The Kevin Calabro Show" and said so.
"Maybe, quite honestly, the most viable spot right now among places that gets the next NBA franchise that is on the move," Bucher said.
But, why? The Grizzlies weren't exactly a hit. The Sonics were one of the best franchises in the league for a really long time. What is it that we're not getting?
"They have the corporate infrastructure, they have a building that they can readily move into ... they also have a very hot hockey team there currently. It's a place that [the NBA] doesn't want to give up on."
Oh. Money.