That's what they need to focus on now-- what are they going to do with the maloofs. They're the ones that are continuing to make deals with Hansen/Ballmer. It may be true that the league didn't want Ellison to buy the Warriors and move them to San Jose, but ultimately it was former owner Cohan that accepted the Lacob bid in spite of Ellison's last minute maneuvering. I keep hearing that all the Maloofs care about is money, that it would be stupid of them to pass up the sure thing of the Vivek bid for an uncertain chance at more money through other options, like their ridiculous plan to sell 20% of Hansen/Ballmer to give them a foot in the door.
But I'm convinced there is more to this-- they don't just want to cash out to the highest bidder. They're convinced that they have some future dealing with Hansen/Ballmer. Not sure exactly what it is, whether they think they can get their foot in the door with an NHL franchise in Seattle, maybe they would somehow be involved with the Sonics, maybe their hoping Hansen/Ballmer will help fund other investment opportunities of theirs in the future. Whatever it is, it's not just about getting a big check for the Kings and then being done with it. Even if their plans go down in flames, I still think they would stay loyal to Hansen/Ballmer because I think they're hoping the favor will be returned to them somehow. And even if it comes down to the league taking over the team from them, they'll probably get the fair market value that has been established. So instead of choosing to take the honorable path, they're sticking with Hanen/Ballmer.
It's become this simple-- we're past the point of bluffs. The league has made it clear that they want the Maloofs to sell to Vivek. They responded by saying they won't. Therefore, is the NBA going to take the team away from the Maloofs in order for this to get resolved?