Stern: 10 cities want an NBA team

[Jose]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...-in-nba-s-top-five-with-move-to-brooklyn.html

"Stern said there are now at least 10 cities that have expressed interest in hosting a team and over a dozen “high net worth” prospective owners, whose interest will further increase franchise values. He didn’t identify the cities or people involved."

"I’m not looking at a lot of movement, but I am looking at a lot of price increases simply because when someone offers you a very high price for your asset, you have to decide whether you’re in it to pass it to your family or if it’s an asset that you may love but may not love enough to turn down a very high offer."

Seattle, Anaheim, Kansas City, Virginia Beach... ????

Anyway, the "not looking at a lot of movement" seems like an interesting comment...

 

[Larry David]

I’m pretty sure of Seattle, Vancouver, Kansas City, Anaheim, San Jose, Las Vegas, Pittsburg, Virginia Beach, and Louisville. Nashville or Columbus might have expressed interest, even if there is no shot? I think London and the NBA would like to pair up at some point.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

Interesting comments from Stern, and I do think the Maloofs were included in his 'decide to pass it on to your family or sell' comment. As far as London was concerened...MAN, that would be a crazy LOOOOONG road trip...what's it like 12 hr flight between LA and London?? Lol

 

[kennadog]

As I recall my own [ancient] history, the NY to London trip was about the same as LA to NY, roughly.

We have no hope in Sacramento, unless we can get the Maloofs to sell. It's pretty obvious the Maloofs want out of Sacramento, badly. I don't think it really has anything to do with how good a market Sacramento is or isn't. Sacramento just isn't glamorous enough for them.

 

[Trueblood]

I’m pretty sure of Seattle, Vancouver, Kansas City, Anaheim, San Jose, Las Vegas, Pittsburg, Virginia Beach, and Louisville. Nashville or Columbus might have expressed interest, even if there is no shot? I think London and the NBA would like to pair up at some point.

Columbus definitely showed interest but Dan Gilbert will put up a fight so they most likely won't get a team. Seattle and Vancouver are in the lead for relocation with KC and VB as the long shots.

I hope that we never have European expansion. When Stern retires, it will hopefully be a dead concept.

 

[Brac-o-matic]

As I recall my own [ancient] history, the NY to London trip was about the same as LA to NY, roughly.

We have no hope in Sacramento, unless we can get the Maloofs to sell.

If they sell, then I am not convinced they would sell the team to someone who would keep them in Sac. I think the out-of-towners are more on fire to pay top dollar to move them, than the out-of-towners who would keep the team local...

 

[kennadog]

If they sell, then I am not convinced they would sell the team to someone who would keep them in Sac. I think the out-of-towners are more on fire to pay top dollar to move them, than the out-of-towners who would keep the team local...

It takes money. Burkle is certainly someone who can make a top offer and keep the team in town. It's true, however, that someone could make an insane offer and we'd be out of luck. I wouldn't put it past George to sell to a party that doesn't have the highest offer, but will move the team. I think George Maloof, in particular, hates Sacramento and would screw us on a sale, if that's what it comes to. And I hate him right back.

 

[ParniValjak]

It takes money. Burkle is certainly someone who can make a top offer and keep the team in town. It's true, however, that someone could make an insane offer and we'd be out of luck. I wouldn't put it past George to sell to a party that doesn't have the highest offer, but will move the team. I think George Maloof, in particular, hates Sacramento and would screw us on a sale, if that's what it comes to. And I hate him right back.

Any sale would have to be approved by the NBA BOG. That has precisely been introduced to prevent these sort of things happening. The NBA would be especially cautioins because it is the Maloofs and they are well aware of their track record.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

But do the other NBA owners see it like we do, as well about George and his disdain for our beautiful city? I like to think so...and that they would vote against George if its a 'hate sale' of the Kings because he resents Sacramento? I am in the thinking that Stern and the other owners know Sacramento is.the best place for the Kings and would vote for a buyer that wants to keep the team here, rather than relocate...I guess I could be wrong though.

 

[Trueblood]

As much disdain I have for the Maloofs, I have to think that they will absolutely sell to the highest bidders. If those bids come from Sacramento, they will gladly sell to whoever it is that is making the offer. They can even make themselves out to be the good guys if they do that.

OTOH, Hansen has supposedly made a $400 million offer already. If they're looking for a high bid and that offer was really made, then someone will have to bid higher than that. FWIW, the public seems to think that they already have enough votes from city council to pass the arena deal and that the vote will take place on the 17th of this month. Here are a couple threads that talk about it...

http://sonicscentral.com/blog/?p=2287#comments

http://sonicscentral.com/blog/?p=2286

 

[HndsmCelt]

It sounds to me that Stern is floating the idea of expansion, which MIGHT benefit Kings fans. One of the factors that dictate the value of sports teams is the small number and relative unavailability of them. So if you put 2 franchises up for grabs the price of the Kings will stagnate. The Maloofs seem to be in the position of having control of a valuable asset they have leveraged to the point that in order justify a sale they would need to pull a classic "pump and dump" and that would seem to be exactly what the proposed move to Anaslime was. Move the time to bigger market, get some of your loans off your back then after a big contract for broadcast rights is signed sell out. So unfortunately I don't see the Maloofs selling the team until they can either set up another deal out of town OR until the NBA & Owners Group put the screws to them.

 

[Section 101]

As much disdain I have for the Maloofs, I have to think that they will absolutely sell to the highest bidders. If those bids come from Sacramento, they will gladly sell to whoever it is that is making the offer. They can even make themselves out to be the good guys if they do that.

OTOH, Hansen has supposedly made a $400 million offer already. If they're looking for a high bid and that offer was really made, then someone will have to bid higher than that. FWIW, the public seems to think that they already have enough votes from city council to pass the arena deal and that the vote will take place on the 17th of this month. Here are a couple threads that talk about it...

http://sonicscentral.com/blog/?p=2287#comments

http://sonicscentral.com/blog/?p=2286

Once again. The league approves all owners. They could also tell out of towners the relocation fee will be $200 million.

 

[bajaden]

Once again. The league approves all owners. They could also tell out of towners the relocation fee will be $200 million.

I think some people just don't get it. The NBA is a privite club that has its own rules. If you don't want to abide by those rules, then don't join. There's a reason the NBA has a BOG and a relocation committee. Many times a sale, or a move isn't just about money, but about whats good for the league long term. In Sacramento's situation, when the fan base has always supported the team, and the city agreed to foot most of the bill for a new arena, it would be a giant PR black eye for the league to let broke owners move the team, or sell to someone that would move the team, just so they could reclaim some of the wealth they lost, through no fault of the city or the team.

The problem isn't the team, the fan base, or the city. The problem is the owners.

 

[Trueblood]

Once again. The league approves all owners. They could also tell out of towners the relocation fee will be $200 million.

And like I've been saying, who's to say that they don't approve someone else just to get rid of the Maloofs?

 

[Trueblood]

It sounds to me that Stern is floating the idea of expansion, which MIGHT benefit Kings fans. One of the factors that dictate the value of sports teams is the small number and relative unavailability of them. So if you put 2 franchises up for grabs the price of the Kings will stagnate. The Maloofs seem to be in the position of having control of a valuable asset they have leveraged to the point that in order justify a sale they would need to pull a classic "pump and dump" and that would seem to be exactly what the proposed move to Anaslime was. Move the time to bigger market, get some of your loans off your back then after a big contract for broadcast rights is signed sell out. So unfortunately I don't see the Maloofs selling the team until they can either set up another deal out of town OR until the NBA & Owners Group put the screws to them.

That would be the absolute best thing that could happen to Sacramento. Let the Maloofs move somewhere else and then expand to Sacramento and Seattle. Make the Maloofs leave the King name in Sacramento and then Sac can move on to the railyards plan and Seattle can get an expansion team without having to take another team and be called hypocrites.

 

[Trueblood]

I think some people just don't get it. The NBA is a privite club that has its own rules. If you don't want to abide by those rules, then don't join. There's a reason the NBA has a BOG and a relocation committee. Many times a sale, or a move isn't just about money, but about whats good for the league long term. In Sacramento's situation, when the fan base has always supported the team, and the city agreed to foot most of the bill for a new arena, it would be a giant PR black eye for the league to let broke owners move the team, or sell to someone that would move the team, just so they could reclaim some of the wealth they lost, through no fault of the city or the team.

The problem isn't the team, the fan base, or the city. The problem is the owners.

Understood and I realize that but it all depends on if the league sees it as a black eye or not. According to most financial records, the Maloofs are going to argue that they need the largest possible sale not just to reclaim wealth but to get above water altogether.

The owners shot them down once because nobody supported a move to Anaheim. Hopefully, they'll shoot them down again...

 

[VF21]

Understood and I realize that but it all depends on if the league sees it as a black eye or not. According to most financial records, the Maloofs are going to argue that they need the largest possible sale not just to reclaim wealth but to get above water altogether.

The owners shot them down once because nobody supported a move to Anaheim. Hopefully, they'll shoot them down again...

Considering the Maloofs just "won" the title of worst team owners in professional sports, I think the black eye is pretty apparent. The exclusive club that is the NBA looks upon the Maloofs much like Ted Knight looked on Rodney Dangerfield.

 

[Telemachus]

Understood and I realize that but it all depends on if the league sees it as a black eye or not. According to most financial records, the Maloofs are going to argue that they need the largest possible sale not just to reclaim wealth but to get above water altogether.

The owners shot them down once because nobody supported a move to Anaheim. Hopefully, they'll shoot them down again...

I have also gotten the impression that the Maloofs ticked off Stern and most of the other owners with their antics in NY (and their power point presentation). I think they made it that much harder for themselves to get approval to move the team as a result, and that is why they are talking about renovating Arco Arena (dispite telling everyone it couldn't be done for 10 years).

 

[Trueblood]

Considering the Maloofs just "won" the title of worst team owners in professional sports, I think the black eye is pretty apparent. The exclusive club that is the NBA looks upon the Maloofs much like Ted Knight looked on Rodney Dangerfield.

Right but what I meant was what is considered a bigger black eye to the league, keeping the worst owners around but saving the market for the time being or getting them out of the league with the possibility of better owners and a passable market even if it means losing Sacramento....for the time being?

 

[Section 101]

That would be the absolute best thing that could happen to Sacramento. Let the Maloofs move somewhere else and then expand to Sacramento and Seattle. Make the Maloofs leave the King name in Sacramento and then Sac can move on to the railyards plan and Seattle can get an expansion team without having to take another team and be called hypocrites.

If the Kings move I am done with the NBA. I wont support an expansion team unless Cuz gets to stay.

 

[JB_kings]

The Maloofs don't become better owners if they move to another city. They have more problems to solve than being too poor to run an NBA team. Their situation changes little by moving. The answer for Stern remains in putting them into a position where they have to sell the team.

 

[VF21]

The Maloofs don't become better owners if they move to another city. They have more problems to solve than being too poor to run an NBA team. Their situation changes little by moving. The answer for Stern remains in putting them into a position where they have to sell the team.

Excellent point ... and one I'm sure has crossed David Stern's mind more than once.