Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

City of Seattle

Pacific Notes: Kings, Nash, Gasol, Patterson

March 9th, 2013 at 9:34am CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Pacific Division on Saturday morning:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Stern: Sacramento Bidders Must Increase Offer

March 8th, 2013 at 10:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:28pm: Mark Mastrov is confident his offer will be ready in time to present to NBA owners, as the Bee's Ailene Voisin tweets. "It's early," Mastrov said. "We are working on a very aggressive bid."

9:39pm: Stern said "there is a substantial variance" between the Mastrov and Hansen offers, as Bizjak, Dale Kasler and Ryan Lillis of the Bee note. The report also clarifies that a group of NBA owners will meet to see where bids stand on April 3rd, a few weeks before the April 18th Board of Governors meeting that's expected to decide the outcome of the tug-of-war over the Kings.  

9:21pm: There might be other bids that could keep the Kings in Sacramento if the Mastrov-fronted effort falls through, according to Bizjak. Stern said he's spoken with investors other than Mastrov and Ron Burkle, who's a secondary partner in Mastrov's effort, as well as current Kings minority owner John Kehriotis, who's preparing a backup bid for the team (Twitter links). 

8:36pm: Commissioner David Stern told reporters in Oakland tonight that the Mark Mastrov-led bid to keep the Kings in Sacramento must come up with more money in order to keep the team in town, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Stern is optimistic the bid will increase, but as of now it's not comparable to the package Chris Hansen and his team of investors has put together to move the team to Seattle (Twitter link).

The Seattle group has an agreement with the Maloof family, which owns the Kings, to commit $341MM for a controlling 65% stake in the team. Mastrov and company have come in with a figure slightly lower than that, though there are mitigating factors, since a Sacramento ownership group wouldn't have to repay a $75MM loan to the city, as anyone who moves the team would have to do.

The NBA's Board of Governors is expected to decide between the competing offers at a meeting in April. Yet unless Mastrov and his partners kick in more money, it might not even get that far, as Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee notes that Stern said the bid must increase to "get to the state of consideration" (Twitter link).

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Western Notes: Harden, Warriors, Kings, Mavs

March 8th, 2013 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

After looking at the NBA's most cap-friendly deals a week ago, Grantland's Bill Simmons returns today with his picks for the league's top 30 worst contracts. Within the piece, Simmons passes along an interesting nugget regarding the Thunder's James Harden trade talks.

Multiple sources tell Simmons that the Warriors were the first team Sam Presti called when he explored a Harden deal, as Oklahoma City hoped to land Klay Thompson. However, Golden State, wary of future tax bills, wanted the Thunder to take back Richard Jefferson or Andris Biedrins, rather than cheaper or shorter-term contracts, which resulted in Presti exploring other options and eventually reaching an agreement with the Rockets.

While the Warriors would have been in line for a huge tax bill for 2013/14 if they'd extended Harden to go along with all the other big-money contracts on their books, it's hard not to be intrigued imagining what a Harden/Stephen Curry backcourt would have looked like.

Here are a few more Friday notes from around the Western Conference:

  • Sports marketing expert David Carter spoke to Sam Amick of USA Today about the Kings sale, exploring whether Sacramento is a better basketball market than Seattle, why a public subsidy in Sacramento's arena proposal could appeal to the NBA, and a handful of other topics.
  • ESPN.com's Chris Broussard explains why he believes it's in Dwight Howard's best interests to re-sign with the Lakers this summer.
  • Another busy summer is in store for the Mavericks, as the team continues to seek a talent that would make Dirk Nowitzki the second-best player on the roster, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • Despite the team's projected cap space, the future isn't looking particularly bright for the Mavericks, according to Gil Lebreton of the Star-Telegram.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Kings, Dentmon, Howard

March 5th, 2013 at 6:31pm CST by Alex Lee

With only three games on the schedule, Tuesday is a slow NBA night in terms of quantity.  However, with the Lakers in Oklahoma City looking to eclipse the .500 mark for the first time since November, there is plenty of quality.  Let's round up any odds and ends from around the league here:

  • Sacramento officials, led by Kevin Johnson, released a report today that provided statistical support for why Sacramento is a better market for the NBA than Seattle, reports Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.  According to the report, the Kings benefit from a pro sports monopoly in Sacramento, as evidenced by the fact that, when compared to Seattle, the Kings had higher attendance in 20 of the 23 seasons in which both cities had an NBA team.  With the Sacramento bid in, the NBA Board of Governors will decide whether or not to approve the Seattle deal in mid-April.
  • In his Hang Time Blog, Sekou Smith takes a look at the tough decisions and disapointment that can come with being a D-Leaguer through Justin Dentmon of the Texas Legends.  Despite currently leading the D-League in scoring and being last year's league MVP, Dentmon is in danger of going the entire 2012-13 season without an NBA look.  Last year Dentmon received 10-day contracts with the Spurs and Raptors.
  • Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops ranks the top 15 free agents come the offseason – both restricted and unrestricted – a list that is headed by Dwight Howard.  
  • Speaking of Howard, the former Magic star ripped into his old squad in a recent interview with an Los Angeles television station, saying the team was "full of people nobody wanted," reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.  Howard makes his return to Orlando on March 12, as if that fire needed any more fuel. 
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Aldridge’s Latest: Kings Sale, NBPA, Bynum, Bell

March 4th, 2013 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

David Aldridge's latest Morning Tip column at NBA.com is packed full with updates on a few notable stories from around the league. Here's Aldridge's latest on the Kings' sale, the NBPA, Andrew Bynum, and more:

  • Owners don't like telling other owners to whom they should sell their teams, so the final decision on the Kings sale still may come down to the Maloofs, rather than the league's finance or relocation committees, a source tells Aldridge.
  • A source involved in the process tells Aldridge that for the Maloofs to consider moving away from the Seattle group in favor of the Sacramento group, there'd have to be an extremely good (and extremely well-articulated) reason.
  • Aldridge believes that David Stern genuinely wants to give Sacramento a legitimate shot to make its case at April's Board of Governors meetings, so no decision will be made before then.
  • Sacramento's bid for the Kings was deliberately arranged so that Mark Mastrov would be the one officially buying the team, with Ron Burkle heading the charge for the new arena, given the Maloofs' history of antipathy toward Burkle.
  • Star players like LeBron James have pledged to take a more active role in staying apprised of union affairs and issues, according to Aldridge. The NBPA executive committee, which includes Andre Iguodala, also includes a few more big names this time around. "In the past, team reps have always been 10th, 11th guys going to the meetings," Iguodala said. "Eighth, ninth. 10th, 11th guys were going to the meetings, and we weren't as involved as we should have been. But I think we're stepping it up."
  • The Sixers remain "intoxicated" by Bynum's potential, a source tells Aldridge, suggesting that the team is still contemplating re-signing him. When we asked yesterday whether Philadelphia ought to re-sign Bynum, nearly 70% of you said no.
  • Mike D'Antoni tried to talk the Lakers into pursuing buyout candidate Raja Bell before last Friday's deadline, but the front office didn't feel like Bell was worth adding to the team's salary and tax bill.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Sacramento Group Submits Bid For Kings

March 1st, 2013 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

As we outlined yesterday, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson unveiled his plan for keeping the Kings in Sacramento last night during his "State of the City" address. Sacramento's bid for the Kings, led by Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle, is said to be slightly short of what the Seattle group offered, but it is "strong and competitive," and close enough to cause debate. The NBA's Board of Governors is expected to make its decision in mid-April, but I imagine we'll get plenty of updates on the process along the way. Here are today's items:

  • Mastrov and Burkle officially submitted their bid for the Kings to the NBA today, according to Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. A source reiterated that it's "very close and competitive" to the Seattle offer, though it's hard to directly compare the two, since the Sacramento bid wouldn't have to cover costs like the city's $75MM loan to the team.
  • While Johnson indicated that Mastrov will lead the charge on the bid for the Kings and Burkle will head the proposal for a new Sacramento arena, both men will contribute financially to both aspects of the project, according to Kasler, Tony Bizjak, and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee.
  • The process for how the Board of Governors will make its decision isn't entirely clear, according to a source that spoke to the Bee: "It's not like there's a manual for how to do this. This is somewhat unprecedented in the history of the league." Tom Ziller of SBNation and Sactown Royalty agrees, noting that this is nothing like what happened between Seattle and Oklahoma City leading up to the SuperSonics' move.
  • Burkle is interested in building an arena in Sacramento's Downtown Plaza, which initial studies show would cost in the $400MM range — that's less than last year's estimate of the cost of an arena in the downtown railroad.
  • City officials have yet to start formally negotiating with Burkle and Mastrov about an arena plan, but city manager John Shirey hopes to finalize a financing term sheet and present it to Sacramento's city council for approval in time for its April 2nd meeting, according to the Bee.
    Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/03/01/2494466/mayors-team-wants-downtown-plaza.html#storylink=cpy
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Latest On Kings, Sacramento, Seattle

February 28th, 2013 at 11:09pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Mayor Kevin Johnson conducted his "State of the City" address in Sacramento tonight to discuss the city's goal in preventing the Kings from moving to Seattle. As we relayed earlier, Mitch Richmond is set to join local investors in an attempt to buy the team along with Mark Mastrov, and Ron Burkle was revealed as a prominent figure in helping fund a new arena in Downtown Plaza. There were a plenty of updates during the speech, and you can find the more noteworthy links below:

  • Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski says that Mastrov's bid is "slightly lower" than the offer from the Chris Hansen-led Seattle group, which has agreed to pay $341MM for 65% ownership of the Kings. One source told Wojnarowski that while Sacramento's efforts are a long shot, the bid is close enough to cause debate. Mayor Johnson, along with the investors he has put together, will still have to make a case to the NBA Board of Governors in April and convince NBA owners to vote against the ratification of the agreement between the Maloofs and Seattle. 
  • While Burkle is leading the charge for a new arena, he would also receive a stake in the team if the city's bid is successful, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. He also writes that Johnson appeared confident about making his case to the NBA: "As a city we have done everything that the NBA has ever asked of us. Everything. Each time the NBA put a challenge in front of us, we not only stepped up, but we over-delivered. There is literally nothing more that we could have done, and I am convinced that in return for our efforts, the NBA is going to make the right decision. … A small market that is [as] committed to this league as we are will be rewarded by keeping its team." 
  • Near the beginning of his address, Mayor Johnson adamantly stated: "I do hope (Seattle gets) a team one day…it is not going to be this team, not our team. No way." (Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today).  
  • It was confirmed that there are 20 local community investors who have committed $1MM each toward buying the team (Twitter link via Ken Berger). 
  • Berger also relayed that the proposed new ownership group plans to bring back the city's WNBA franchise – the Sacramento Monarchs – to share the downtown arena with the Kings. 
  • NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper says that Mastrov is expected to submit a bid to the league office tomorrow. According to Mayor Johnson, tweets Berger, the bid will be "strong and competitive" and David Stern has made assurances that it will receive "full consideration." 
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Sacramento Mayor Reveals Kings Investors

February 28th, 2013 at 8:46pm CST by Luke Adams

8:46pm: According to Mayor Johnson, former Kings star Mitch Richmond is one of the investors who will help with trying to buy the seven percent stake of the team that is currently in bankruptcy (Ken Berger of CBS Sports tweets). He also names Mastrov and Burkle as the other benefactors who are spearheading the city's bid to keep the Kings in Sacramento (Twitter links). Berger clarifies that Mastrov will be a majority investor in the team, while Burkle will help lead the new downtown arena project. 

12:07pm: Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson is scheduled to make his State of the City address tonight, and may reveal the identities of the investors he has recruited to make a counter-offer for the Kings, according to Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis, and Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. The so-called "whales" are widely believed to be Ron Burkle and Mark Mastrov, though Johnson has yet to confirm those reports.

While the Maloofs reached an exclusive agreement with Chris Hansen's Seattle group that prohibits them from negotiating with anyone else, the Kings majority owners are willing to accept "backup offers" for the franchise, a source tells the Bee. Whether an offer comes from Burkle and Mastrov or from minority owner John Kehriotis, who is said to be putting together a proposal of his own, it "would have to be a backup offer to the definitive agreement" between the Maloofs and the Seattle group, according to the source.

At least one Sacramento city council member, Steve Cohn, is intrigued by the push being made by Kehriotis to secure the necessary funds for an offer, since he wouldn't be seeking a public subsidy for a new arena. While Cohn is skeptical that Kehriotis can assemble all the financing, he notes that it would save Sacramento "a lot of money." Assuming the Burkle/Mastrov bid pursues a public subsidy, city officials have indicated they would provide up to $255MM, the amount provided for a proposed arena last spring, according to the Bee report.

Meanwhile, although one report suggested that Hansen's Seattle group never paid the $30MM non-refundable deposit that was due to the Maloofs by February 1st, Joe Maloof confirmed that the payment was in fact made, according to the Bee.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Draft, Oden, Greene, Kings

February 27th, 2013 at 7:01pm CST by Alex Lee

The news of the night so far in the NBA is that Pacers' Roy Hibbert and Warriors' David Lee have each been suspended one game without pay for their roles in last night's skirmish (Twitter links from Yahoo's Marc Spears).  In addition, Lance Stephenson, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were each fined $35,000 for "escalating the altercation."  Hibbert already told Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star that he will pay Stephenson's fine for being a good teammate, tweets Wells. 

Lee will serve his suspension tonight, as the Warriors visit in the Knicks in one of 10 games on tonight's schedule.  Mark Jackson, back in Madison Square Garden as head coach of the Warriors, has already expressed his displeasure with the league's decision, tweets Adam Zagoria of NBA.com.  Here are some other odds and ends from around the league:

  • Chad Ford of ESPN released his latest draft blog, available to insiders only and complete with an updated top 30.  Ben McLemore of Kansas tops his big board but as Ford asserts, this year's top 10 promises to be as ever-changing as any in recent memory.
  • Greg Oden will not decide on his next team until July, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports.  This agrees with last week's report from Marc Spears of Yahoo that Oden won't sign until the offseason, though it sounds like this came directly from Oden's agent, Mike Conley.  Amico writes that Oden came close to signing with the Cavaliers earlier this month, but an agreement couldn't be reached.  Conley believes that once Oden works his way into game shape, he will again have All Star potential.
  • Free agent forward Donte Greene, now healthy after fracturing his ankle in August, will work out for teams at Eastern Michigan University on Sunday, tweets Marc Spears of Yahoo.  Spears reported last week that the Nets, Pacers, Hornets, Spurs, Bulls, Knicks, Magic, Rockets, and Cavaliers have all checked in on Greene, who played the last four seasons in Sacramento.  Citing a league source, Nets Daily has reported the Nets are not currently interested in filling their open roster spot by adding Greene.
  • As was rumored yesterday, it appears that Kings minority owner John Kehriotis does in fact intend to submit a "back-up offer" to the Maloofs to buy the Kings, reports Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee.  Kehriotis apparently has the capital to match the offer from the Seattle group and believes he has the legal right to counter their attempt to buy the team, according to the report. 
  • Meanwhile, the Sacramento city council voted on Tuesday night to approve the request made by city officials to begin negotiations over the financing of a new arena, reports Bizjak.  These negotiations are a crucial element to Sacramento's bid to keep the Kings. 
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Latest On Kings, Sacramento, Seattle

February 26th, 2013 at 7:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday, we heard that Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson is preparing to unveil his "whales" for the city's competing bid to keep the Kings in Sacramento, with an announcement possible on Friday. As we wait on Johnson's next update, let's round up a few links related to the Kings sale, Sacramento, and Seattle:

  • Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee reports that the Sacramento City Council is expected to approve a request for permission to negotiate a new arena.
  • David Flemmer, the bankruptcy trustee overseeing the sale of a 7% share of the Kings, may accelerate the process, according to Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. Whoever buys the share is expected to have the opportunity to exercise the right of first refusal and make a competing bid for the majority share of the franchise. The auction for the 7% share is currently set for April.
  • According to an FTXL Fox Sports report, as passed along by Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee, another Kings minority owner, John Kehriotis, may be preparing to exercise the right of first refusal and make a bid himself.
  • When the Sacramento City Council considers its contribution to an arena proposal, it won't be starting from scratch, but it also won't be emulating last year's plan, according to a Sacramento Bee report from Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak. The Bee report suggests that City Council will be asked to give top city officials the OK to begin formal negotiations on an arena plan with a private investment group, presumably led by Ron Burkle and Mark Mastrov.
  • Darrell Fong, one of two Sacramento City Council members to vote against a resolution to express support for a city contribution to a new arena last week, explained his no vote, as Lillis details.
  • Seattle city officials have started readying KeyArena for basketball and scheduling arena time to be available for the SuperSonics in 2013/14, reports Lynn Thompson of the Seattle Times.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts