That group would have to pay upwards of 1 billion to complete the deal as it stands when you include the arena that has to be built. A Sacramento group could buy a team and get an arena built for half the price. It's a better deal to stay in Sac. As another poster clearly pointed out, you don't get to be rich be overspending and giving away money. It still has to make business sense for Hansen and his group.
Kevin Johnson meeting with press at 3:30
- Thread starter GoSACtown
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I think you're overestimating how much Hansen and group are willing to pay specifically for the Kings. There are other teams out there that could most likely be purchased. If the Maloofs take the price too high, they lose Hansen. He's not going to give the Brothers Maloof a blank check when they aren't the only option.
Um, what?
As for the rest, there are teams that could most likely be bought if the price was right. It's just easy right now to aim at the Kings. This does not mean, as has been pointed out before, that Chris Hansen and his group will overpay. They're billionaires for a reason. The Kings franchise is a freaking trainwreck right now and potential buyers will be using that to attempt to keep the price within reason.
As for the rest, there are teams that could most likely be bought if the price was right. It's just easy right now to aim at the Kings. This does not mean, as has been pointed out before, that Chris Hansen and his group will overpay. They're billionaires for a reason. The Kings franchise is a freaking trainwreck right now and potential buyers will be using that to attempt to keep the price within reason.
Exactly. Any buyer wanting to keep a team in Sac, already knows that means entering into that deal with the city. And its a better deal than Hansen's getting in Seattle.
George Maloof, in particular, hates Sacramento. If they have to sell, he's going to do everything he can to make sure the team won't stay in Sacramento. Thanks for being one of the world's biggest ___________. Fill in the blank with your own selection.
George Maloof, in particular, hates Sacramento. If they have to sell, he's going to do everything he can to make sure the team won't stay in Sacramento. Thanks for being one of the world's biggest ___________. Fill in the blank with your own selection.
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Doesn't matter about ego now. The Maloofs now HAVE to sell. No way the NBA lets them go so far, with a major suitor and headlines in evry media outlet, and then not sell. And the NBA still controls the approval of the sale. So if their preference is blocked (and Seattle's ownership perhaps bribed off with an expansion team offer that will a) be cheaper for them than buying the Kings; and b) will distribute hundreds of milions in expansion fees amongst the other owners) well, their leverage is gone then. If the NBA won't let them have Seattle, they are going to have to take something else. Even Burkle after their arms get twisted enough. They could not sell to Burkle so long as they maintained "not for sale", but now that the sale is out there they're going to be forced to sell to somebody. Their little egos may be bought off by some sort of concession form the NBA. Maybe they will be comped tiockets to the All Star game and allowed to sit at the kids table while the real owners have their meetings or some such.
Show me the money. That's what it's all about now. KJ says he has at least two potential buyers. So now it's put up or shut up to those potential buyers. If those buyers come in with legit offers close to what Seattle is offering (after accounting for the +/- $125 mill in transfer costs), then the NBA should be able to exert a huge amount of leverage to keep the team in Sacto, if we are to take the NBA's word. So far it's all been talk. Let's see the money.
in response, i'll refer you to my post here (edit: is it annoying to anyone else that hyperlinked text is barely distinguishable from unlinked text?), as it covers most of the same bases. however, i do agree with you that the pressure is on now. the maloofs are tremendously likely to sell the kings in the wake of the media frenzy that has followed and will continue to follow these proceedings. but i guess i'm just not as convinced as everybody else that the nba is still in sacramento's corner. i certainly do not believe that david stern retains any of his prior spite towards the city over failing to secure an adequate arena deal through the years, because kevin johnson's hail mary last year, as well as the undying support of the community and fanbase, was thoroughly convincing. but, at a certain point, i think the nba just has to throw up its hands, give the maloofs the stinkeye, offer their condolences to the city of sacramento, congratulate the city of seattle, and move on. in a perfect world, the kings remain in sac, and seattle is rewarded for their efforts with the olive branch of a future expansion franchise. but it's not a perfect world, and while i'm hoping for the fairy tale ending along with everybody else, i'm also steeling myself for the very real possibility that the sacramento kings will become the seattle sonics. we can hypothesize all we want about how the kings might stay in sacramento, but, as i said in my post in the other thread, seattle already has a buyer aggressively negotiating with the maloofs. sacramento must scrape and claw from behind if they are to keep the kings, as they always have. and perhaps they do. but perhaps the ball is, indeed, on the one-yard line, and seattle is preparing for victory. it's an apparition we're grasping at until a norcal buyer materializes with a competing offer the league can get behind. we'll have to wait and see...
edit #2: i'll also agree with sentiments you've expressed repeatedly in other threads regarding the fans' place in this mess. if sacramento can get as loud as they were during the here we stay campaign, if not louder, then it would represent the kind of public relations pressure a professional sports league must consider and contend with during its most controversial moments. nobody should underestimate the power of connectivity circa 2013. in our present media age, fueled in particular by the popularity of twitter amongst nba franchises and the nba's fanbase at large, there is always a domino effect. various media outlets were commenting on the potential sale of the kings yesterday in real time on twitter, as is the norm for all activity across the globe. some were expressing their disappointment, including many who have no horse in this race. even Questlove, popular twitter user and drummer for hip hop/soul/late night with jimmy fallon band The Roots was wondering how sacramentans felt about the potential sale. sacramento's thought of as the Little City that Could when it comes to these Kings. so it's time to reinforce that reputation. it's time to sell out some games. it's time to come together for one last, final gasp. it's time to paint the city purple...
edit #2: i'll also agree with sentiments you've expressed repeatedly in other threads regarding the fans' place in this mess. if sacramento can get as loud as they were during the here we stay campaign, if not louder, then it would represent the kind of public relations pressure a professional sports league must consider and contend with during its most controversial moments. nobody should underestimate the power of connectivity circa 2013. in our present media age, fueled in particular by the popularity of twitter amongst nba franchises and the nba's fanbase at large, there is always a domino effect. various media outlets were commenting on the potential sale of the kings yesterday in real time on twitter, as is the norm for all activity across the globe. some were expressing their disappointment, including many who have no horse in this race. even Questlove, popular twitter user and drummer for hip hop/soul/late night with jimmy fallon band The Roots was wondering how sacramentans felt about the potential sale. sacramento's thought of as the Little City that Could when it comes to these Kings. so it's time to reinforce that reputation. it's time to sell out some games. it's time to come together for one last, final gasp. it's time to paint the city purple...
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For the most part I am trying to keep a positive outlook and hope for the best. After all, the Maloofs are willing to sell - that's a good thing because it at least means the possibility of the Kings staying in Sacramento with new owners.
But here's a point that bothers me because it means a positive for Seattle and a negative for Sacramento. The reports are that the Maloofs negotiations with Hansen, Ballmer and company involved a provision for the Maloofs to remain as minority owners. This is almost surely George compromising with Gavin and/or Joe so that they aren't losing their NBA "ownership" entirely. The problem is that they probably see the relationship with Sacramento as damaged beyond repair and would prefer to be minority owners elsewhere.
Now the reality is that if the Maloofs came out and said that they decided to sell to a local buyer because they wanted to keep the Kings in Sacramento then Joe and Gavin would be appreciated by the fans who would be grateful for that move. But I don't think the Maloofs see it that way. They are impulsive, emotional people who hold grudges. And so I think that hurts KJ's chances of putting together a group & offer to keep the Kings here.
But here's a point that bothers me because it means a positive for Seattle and a negative for Sacramento. The reports are that the Maloofs negotiations with Hansen, Ballmer and company involved a provision for the Maloofs to remain as minority owners. This is almost surely George compromising with Gavin and/or Joe so that they aren't losing their NBA "ownership" entirely. The problem is that they probably see the relationship with Sacramento as damaged beyond repair and would prefer to be minority owners elsewhere.
Now the reality is that if the Maloofs came out and said that they decided to sell to a local buyer because they wanted to keep the Kings in Sacramento then Joe and Gavin would be appreciated by the fans who would be grateful for that move. But I don't think the Maloofs see it that way. They are impulsive, emotional people who hold grudges. And so I think that hurts KJ's chances of putting together a group & offer to keep the Kings here.
At this point, I think it comes down to two things. Is the NBA and Stern still in Sacramento's corner, and can Johnson come up with a potential owner that can compete, or will compete financially. The NBA still controls who can and cannot buy a team. As I said before, a local bidder has leverage over Hansen and Co. The can bid less, and still give the Maloofs more. But lets just say someone like Burkle is willing to put up $500 mil for the team, which matches the offer of Hansen. Would the NBA approve Hansen, and not Burkle?
Its my belief that if that were to happen, or something close to that, the NBA would be forced into a corner and and also forced to reveal their true colors. To allow the sale to Hansen over Burkle would be a huge black eye to the NBA, after the city came up with an arena deal, and then came up with a legit buyer offering equal value. If the league were to turn its back on that, I think every city in the country would have to ask themselves if they really want to get involved in such stupidity. Its for that reason, that if Johnson can come up with a buyer, I think the leverage is still on Sacramento's side.
Its my belief that if that were to happen, or something close to that, the NBA would be forced into a corner and and also forced to reveal their true colors. To allow the sale to Hansen over Burkle would be a huge black eye to the NBA, after the city came up with an arena deal, and then came up with a legit buyer offering equal value. If the league were to turn its back on that, I think every city in the country would have to ask themselves if they really want to get involved in such stupidity. Its for that reason, that if Johnson can come up with a buyer, I think the leverage is still on Sacramento's side.
Isn't that the same kind of clause that George got in the Palms fiasco? I have to agree with your assessment as to what George may want but I doubt if he's going to get it. Hansen won't want the stink of the Maloof name anywhere close to HIS team, nor would a local ownership group. George is going to be in for a shock no matter what.
I think "local buyer" really means: Anyone on the planet who will contractually obligate themselves to stay in Sacramento. It doesn't mean you have to have current residence in Sacto. If KJ wants to include a couple of locals with 1% ownership interest for political reasons I doubt anyone is going to care.
Also, who really cares if the Maloofs retain 5% ownership? They won't have control; that's all I care about.
Also, who really cares if the Maloofs retain 5% ownership? They won't have control; that's all I care about.
I am not giving up, until the BoG approves a sale and move to Sacramento. I think Stern still appreciates Sacramento, but when it comes to whose side he'll take, I think he'd favor Seattle. It's going to be a little like choosing between two children. But Seattle has a great fan base, who lost the Sonics through no fault of their own, a much bigger media market and definitely more corporate presence. And our arena deal actually has a lot more hoops to jump through to get finalized than Seattle's arena deal does.
I sincerely hope we have a buyer who will make an equal or better offer to keep the Kings in Sacramento. And I really hope Stern will stand behind Sacramento, if we do.
BTW, I think KJ wants enough local ownership to be sure somebody doesn't buy the team and the ulterior motive is to move the team in a couple of years down the road.
I sincerely hope we have a buyer who will make an equal or better offer to keep the Kings in Sacramento. And I really hope Stern will stand behind Sacramento, if we do.
BTW, I think KJ wants enough local ownership to be sure somebody doesn't buy the team and the ulterior motive is to move the team in a couple of years down the road.