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The Seattle Times reported today that a Seattle businessman says he has put together a group willing to buy the NBA Sonics and the WNBA Storm. Interesting. And not inplausible, that Clay Bennett and his group could throw up their hands try to make a profit and get out of town.

But I don’t think so. What’s more interesting from an Oklahoma City perspective is the apparent interest in buying at least the Storm. The WNBA franchise is reasonably popular in town and will be a huge bargaining chip in Bennett’s negotiations to break his KeyArena lease. Let us leave early, Bennett will say, and we’ll leave behind the Storm.

Now there is a group, publicly stated, interested in owning the Storm (albeit with the Sonics). Bennett will give that group a chance to show just how much it is interested in the WNBA.

Why wouldn’t Bennett sell the Sonics, too, and walk away? Because it’s too hard to get into the NBA club of ownership. Too hard to get another franchise. Bennett is intrigued by NBA ownership, not just in OKC. He would have enjoyed owning the Sonics even if it had stayed in Seattle. His partners, not so much. I believe they want a team in Oklahoma City. Selling the Sonics appeases neither of those goals.

Tonight is Halloween, and I’m sitting home, passing out candy, trying to get some work done and watching some NBA basketball. Cavs-Mavs on ESPN, Hornets-Kings on Cox. I could have went out to Lloyd Noble Center and checked out the Sooners, who play an exhibition against Rockhurst College, but that was a pass.

Truth is, the NBA is a far superior product, and that was one of the great lessons taught by the Hornets. Pro hoops are much better than college. Almost every NBA game is competitive; there are a few exceptions, but for the most part, you don’t know who will win.  Not so with the college game.

OSU and OU have some decent December games, but OSU’s are mostly in Hawaii, OU’s in New York, should the Sooners get there.  Until January, the only watchable OU home games are against Tulsa and Arkansas, the only watchable OSU home game is against Washington. OU plays Gonzaga at the Ford Center, where OSU plays ORU in a brother matchup. That’s basically unacceptable.

Meanwhile, five minutes into the NBA games, we were reminded of why we loved the NBA so much. Most anything could happen. These games, even in October, were anything but scrimmages. Come back soon, NBA. Come back soon.

Clay Bennett’s bid to bring the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City has hit a muddy road, and that’s not at all surprising. Cities are not quick to let go of their major-league franchises.

Seattle went to court to force the Sonics to adhere to the lease that keeps the NBA team at KeyArena through spring 2010, and that’s to be expected. Few cities are glad to see major-league franchises gone. From what I’ve read, Charlotte was so disgusted with George Shinn, it said good riddance to the Hornets in 2001, but that kind of attitude is rare. Most cities will call out all options to keep their teams.

Going to court was a solid move for Seattle. Think this through. A judge is to decide whether a civil matter belongs in a civil court, his or someone equal to him, or before a panel of arbiters. Seems like a home-court advantage. Civil courts aren’t overworked like criminal courts. Give a district court judge a chance to get rid of cases, and he jumps at it. A civil-court judge has no such motivation.

So the Sonics will have to prove their case before a judge and likely won’t. And frankly, that’s OK. I’m no expert, and I could read that lease 50 times and make no more sense of it than I know now, but you have to assume it’s pretty clear. The franchise agreed to play at KeyArena through 2010. What’s unclear about that?

Here’s what must happen if the Sonics want to leave for Oklahoma City after this season. They must negotiate their way out of the lease. If you break the lease, you’ve broken a contract. The lease is binding. So negotiate. Let Seattle know that you are leaving one way or the other, if not now then in 2010, so let’s talk.

Emotions will flare, but business sense takes over at some point.

Seattle’s point is obvious. Keep the team in Seattle as long as possible, and maybe something will break on the arena that will keep the team in town. Excellent strategy.  Would the Sonics embrace an arena plan now that the deadline has come and nothing has transpired? I say yes. Bennett is too good a businessman not to lay aside his pride and accept what would be a financial bonanza for his franchise and the league.

But Bennett’s mission also must be to convince Seattle that the Sonics are leaving, later if not sooner. When Seattle finally believes that no way will the team stay, then it can enter a negotiating phase. The Sonics and Seattle had a devil of a time talking about a new arena. They will have a devil of a time talking about a buyout of the lease. But that must come, or else both sides lose. The Sonics lose time in getting out of town, and Seattle loses whatever gains it could squeeze out of Bennett at the negotiating table.