Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
It’s a stunning development, but it appears the Sacramento Kings will be staying in California.
It wasn’t that long ago that it appeared the team was going to Seattle. The Maloof family had all but decided it was going to sell to an investment group in Seattle that would move the franchise there.
But Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, and other King boosters, rallied to keep the team in town. On Monday, an NBA ownership committee unanimously voted against moving the Kings.
A formal vote of all owners is scheduled for May 13, but there are reports the entire ownership will vote to keep the Kings in Sacramento.
There was reason for Sacramento fans to rejoice. Johnson, who could probably run for governor of California and win hands down, pulled off the winning ticket by assembling a strong counter proposal to have an ownership group that would keep the team in Sacramento.
Two years ago, Johnson also was able to stop a bid to move the team to Anaheim. A group, led by Bay Area software magnate Vivek Randadive, appears to be poised to buy the team and keep it in Sacramento, which has the funding and governmental approval for a new arena to open in 2015 or 2016.
Funding for an arena remains a key in most transfers of ownerships in the NBA.
The move will make it interesting for the way the NBA will handle such situations in the future. Seattle would be an excellent place for a team and the NBA needs to be there. It’s doubtful the league is in the mood for another expansion team. Chances are that the next team in financial-need will move to the northwest. It’s anyone’s guess who that team might be.
