I think its going to be Burkle-Mastrov. I can't pin down a source yet, but someone posted that Burkle is interested in joining with JMA to build the arena at the plaza site. JMA has already said that their architectural/engineering study has said such a project is doable and cost estimates are in the same neighborhood as the rail yard proposal. I'm curious to see if it might include less public financing with private ownership, instead of public. That would not surprise me. If the city has to provide a lot less financing, this could be a major win. I'd want some public subsidy so team would be legally tied to Sacramento.
I think we all need to remember that the league can reject the sale to Hansen, but cannot force the Maloofs to sell to our buyer. Although, if the money they get is equal or greater and they refuse to sell, they would certainly be exposed for ultra vindictive people.
FOUND RUMOR SOURCE:
Ryan Lillis @Ryan_Lillis Source also tells The Bee that Ron Burkle advocated for a new #NBAKings arena at the Downtown Plaza site
This is good to know. I was talking to my friend about it in Seattle and I am going to share it with you and tell me how far off base this is. He wrote that last part after the dots
Sorry but you've run in to a bigger snag by the name of Larry Ellison. No one in Sacramento can compete with the Hansen group cash-wise as of now. Any combination of Burkle, Ellison, and Mastrov can back one of the minority holders and buy the team. The Maloofs knew this and just got a free 30 million from Hansen and are going to sell the team to the Sac investors for the same price and make more money on the deal. Long Live the Kings!!!
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I am going to do something. I am going to look at it from your view. We understand that today Ron Burkle went to the NBA office in NY and talked to David Stern. Now what was talked about was how serious the talk was about keeping the Kings in Sacramento. What was the chance for them to stay in Sacramento? Also he talked to the NBA about moving the arena idea from the railyards to the Crown Plaza in downtown Sacramento.
Then today Larry Ellison was going to meet with your mayor Kevin Johnson about buying the team.
I'll address it for you.....
Look remember the arena deal in March 2012 between City of Sacramento, AEG and the Maloofs were??? It was $250+ from Sacramento City parking lots, AEG was going to give $58.75 million and the Maloofs give $73.25 million at the railyards. Now Burkle says if we build it at Crown Plaza in Sacramento, the price is going to be a lot cheaper than the $391 million dollar arena at the railyards.
So you will have all the money you need plus it would be cheaper for Burkle to buy in. So in the Crown Plaza arena deal, you basically have all the same parties involved still offering the same money ($58.75 from AEG/ $250 million from the City of Sacramento Parking lots and instead of Maloofs there at $58 million, you have Burkle replacing them at a cheaper price. So as Burkle is a billionaire, $58 million is nothing to him. Understand??? So if Burkle agrees to the deal, you now have an arena deal in Sacramento. Don't think that Stern doesnt see this and will do whatever it takes for the deal to go through.
So I am guessing without building a complex there at the railyards, The Crown Plaza arena Burkle's price will be 40+million or less. Lot cheaper than at the railyards! The railyard arena is more expensive because your adding a hotel/ entertainment center and you have to pay a boatload of money to clean the railyards. I mean Enviromental Review costs and all of that is expensive. With the arena at the plaza, you wouldnt have to do that because you just tear down the movie theater and the buildings around there and then you just build the arena. Get me?? So your just building an arena and that is about it because you already have nearby parking garages and no place to build more. You just building an arena.
Now here is your best bet. You need to allow the Kings to come to Seattle because you would get rid of the Maloofs. Secondly, if you dont and the NBA doesnt allow the Kings to leave, the Maloofs are still your owner and they dont like Burkle. So then that would mean the Kings would still be looking to move the team to another city. So you start from page 1 again.
Then the NBA still wants the Seattle #13 market and Steve Ballmer in the NBA, so Seattle would get an expansion team and you get a chance to get nothing. So your best bet is the Kings come to Seattle and get rid of the Maloofs, the NBA with Ellison and Burkle involved with a strong arena agreement plan in place, then NBA BOG will not turn you down and you will get an expansion team that will stay in Sacramento forever. That is really the only choice you have.
See if the NBA BOG turns down the request, the problem is the Maloofs regain ownership and they dont have to stay. So you get a chance of losing the franchise. But if you allow them to leave and you get an agreement from the NBA you will get an expansion team next season or the year after that, you wont have the Maloofs as owners and you will have ellison and Burkle as owners. (There is no way NBA wants Ellison moving the team to San Jose. You already got the Warriors in San Jose market. Territory rights come into play!) So you end up with a new "Kings" and the fans will come out and sell out the place again with the cowbells ringing and all that.
So you end up with a team with new owners that dont want the Kings to leave town and you would have a new arena at crown plaza by co-owner Ron Burkle.