Is it ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ time in Seattle?
By Mike Sherman
Sports Editor
Could Seattle’s resolve for making the Sonics play out the final two years of their lease in the Emerald City be weakening? Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton — that’s Slade “Scorched Earth” Gorton to David Stern — leads the Seattle legal team in its federal lawsuit against the Sonics.
Gorton tells the Seattle Post-Intelligencer he’s willing to talk settlement if it includes a promise that Seattle will get an NBA team when it gets its KeyArena act together. Interesting.
This story comes a few days after two King County officials said the city has no business suing the team and would be better off working toward getting an arena deal and another NBA team.
Obviously, it’s a little early to start the OKC ticket sales, but the prospects of a June 16 trial date and a lame-duck season or seasons in Seattle no longer seem as inevitable
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Comments
Judging from the comments from NBA officials and owners — both when they were in Oklahoma City and in New York — it sounds like Seattle will get a franchise when it gets the arena deal figured out.
And judging from what Gorton said yesterday, it sounds like more energy is about to be invested in that direction. The promise of an arena in a city the size of Seattle will be too tempting and lucrative to turn down.
Sounds like that would amount to an expansion team, which Stern has said he is opposed to. And what sense would it make for Sonics to relocate and then get an expansion team? Wouldn’t it make more sense just to give the expansion to OKC?
Gorton says the ONLY way to avoid litigation is a GUARANTEE that Seattle gets another team. At which point, it seems to make little economic sense for the Sonics to move at all. Unless OKC really just can’t live without Earl Watson. Because Durant isn’t resigning if they move.
Have fun being held hostage by David Stern 10 years from now when your new Ford Center is considered “obsolete”
Alright I promise this one works!!!!!!
Not being a hater, just trying to prove the sad state that the NBA is in right now that 12 years after an arean opens and before it is even paid off the league can say that it is not “NBA ready”
obsolete in 10 years – geez, that’s too generous. The Ford Center is not much better than KeyArena. More like obsolete in 5 years.
Gordon has laid out Seattle’s offer. It is no coincidence that Shultz filed his lawsuit the day after Gordon’s comments. Feel the screws being tightened?
I bet Stern and Bennett do.
Look for more emails and things slowly leaking out leading up to the trial.
“He won’t resign if they stay either”
He will if he’s on a team that’s committed to winning. Clay Bennett is not.
THERE IS JUST ONE RESTRICTION. A GUARANTEED TEAM! WHICH STERN WILL NOT DO! THERE WILL NOT BE A FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT. THIS WAS JUST CONFIRMED BY OUR MAYOR OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL! SEE YA’ALL IN JUNE!
MIKE U.
So Mike, what do you think the odds are that Stern gives Seattle a new franchise?
Slim to none. I’d expect litigation to move forward.