HUGE NEWS! Clay Bennett & Co. buy Supersonics!

[okclee]

Does the fact that the Sonics with the 2nd pick in the NBA generate momentum to get the new arena now??

ESPN says yes, Dan Patrick and Mike Wilbon from ESPN, said that the excitement of a Kevin Durant (probable #2 draft pick) will get the city excited again and therefore a new arena..

[Nixon7]

oh my!!! bring on durant to okc! PLEASE this summer!

[Watson410]

Like HOT ROD has said if they make an announcement of relocation (to OKC hopefully) it would most likely be after the NBA finals.... Let's just hope it's before the Draft, before Seattle gets to excited and builds an arena. I honestly don't see one player changing the minds of Seattle, but you never know.

[Patrick]

I bet Seattle eventually comes through and builds the arena. I wouldn't be surprised at all.

[HOT ROD]

I dont think so Patrick, unless one of the millionaires on the Seattle East Side steps up and makes it happen.

Trouble is, Bennett said he wants the $500M arena in Renton, and NOBODY (not the state, city, or millionaire's club) wants to step up for that.

The legislature will not go back into session. Im sure most of those senators/house reps are LONG GONE and NOTHING can be done without their vote/approval. And even then, you'd also need King County approval which they've said would require a public vote.

NO WAY someone would come up to bat for an arena for Bennett without local support, be it legislature, city, and/or even average citizen.

As far as Durant changing Seattle's fanbase, I dont see it happening. Most people here dont even know who he is, myself included. However, there are some Washingtonians in the draft - so if Seattle were to trade the #2 and be in line to get some of the local talent - well then, that might bode well for some fan support, which could get some cash rich folks to put together an offer for the team.

Put it this way, if the Sonics accept Kevin Durant of TX - it's a positive vote for OKC! And honestly, unless some Eastside Seattle suburb rich folks pool some funds together and buy Bennett out - the Sonics are still moving to Oklahoma City, with Durant!

[Nixon7]

CP3 to Durant wouldn't be a bad transition... Listening to KJR right now online and they all think this means they stay for sure....I just don't see where the $$ will come from?

[Nixon7]

2007-2008 OKC Sonics seems less likely now. You have to think season tickets in Seattle will increase, and how could Stern and the BOG let them move now that Seattle may be back on the nba bandwagon...

[John]

2007-2008 OKC Sonics seems less likely now. You have to think season tickets in Seattle will increase, and how could Stern and the BOG let them move now that Seattle may be back on the nba bandwagon...

Good for Clay and Co.

[Patrick]

Hot Rod, I really hope you're right.

[BDP]

The flip side is that if they keep the #2 pick, then their payroll probably goes up.

In the end, it doesn't make their arena plans any more affordable. Local resistance to public financing for an arena seems to be based more on fiscal responsibility and priorities than on any real contempt or apathy for the franchise. So it would be weird to me if this changed the political dynamic. The only thing that may change is the interest from private capital that may see more immediate potential for return.

In any event, this should be more fodder for the claims that the lottery is fixed.

[Easy180]

Don't think it will make much of a difference...Not potentially leaving Seattle due to lack of attendance so increased season ticket sales aren't a big deal

Sure the Wash politicians weren't watching the draft lottery

[Nixon7]

Sonics begin relocation talks.

NewsOK: Sonics begin relocation talks<br/><span class='hl2'>Team's chairman says OKC likely destination if Sonics leave Seattle, but negotiations will include Kansas City</span>

Hot Rod - any more optimism for 07/08 okc sonics?

[Nuclear_2525]

I think it is obvious that Bennet is wanting a new stadium should the team choose OKC

[Pete]

Here's the full article -- sounds like he's laying the groundwork for public subsidies from OKC.


*********************************
Wed May 30, 2007
Sonics begin relocation talks

By Berry Tramel
Staff Writer

When Clay Bennett and his partners first bought the Seattle SuperSonics, he would drive around the Puget Sound area marveling.


"I couldn't get my hands around what good fortune, to have a team in that marketplace with a new facility,” said Bennett, the Oklahoma City businessman whose group purchased the NBA franchise last summer. "I really thought we would get a deal done. An extraordinary opportunity.

"But lately, I don't have those same feelings.”

Bennett said Tuesday that despite the splendid lottery news of last week — the Sonics will pick second in the NBA draft, giving them either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, both projected superstars — he is out of ideas for a new arena in Seattle and has begun preliminary discussions with Oklahoma City and Kansas City about possible relocation.

"My expectation and my belief is that if we leave Seattle, we're quite likely headed to Oklahoma City,” Bennett said from his office on the 31st floor of Oklahoma Tower. "But that decision has to be made with appropriate due diligence. We have to do that work. Just can't proclaim we're moving here.”

Bennett said the Sonics got a "little bump” in ticket sales from the lottery news but no momentum on the arena front.

Bennett said ideally the Sonics would launch the career of either Durant or Oden in the franchise's long-term home but that it was unlikely for the franchise to seek relocation this summer.

"For now, without a building solution, it's our intent to play in Seattle and apply for relocation immediately after the (Oct. 31) deadline,” Bennett said. The Oklahoma City group agreed to give Seattle until Oct. 31 to produce an arena deal.

Even before the Sonics were sold, NBA commissioner David Stern said it was becoming apparent Seattle was not interested in keeping the franchise. Bennett said that now is becoming apparent to him, too.

Bennett cited a story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on Tuesday that declared the loss of the Sonics would have a "negligible economic impact” on Seattle and quoted deputy mayor Tim Ceis as saying, "In terms of our image as a city, I don't think (the Sonics' effect) matters — maybe it did 40 years ago when they first came here.”

Bennett also saw KWTV's SportsBlitz on Sunday night, when Seattle sportscaster Gaard Swanson told Oklahoma viewers "nobody cares about whether the Sonics stay in Seattle.”

Bennett said, "I really think that's a common, broad perspective. I'm probably as pessimistic as I've been. Not to say I've lost complete hope. We'll evaluate thoroughly any potential lead, but we're out of ideas.”

Bennett said he understands the opposition to public money for a new arena but has to do what's best for his franchise. The Washington legislature declined to allow King County to vote for a proposed arena that would need $350 million in tax money, mostly from tourism taxes already in place.

"It may be that this proposal doesn't fit the Seattle marketplace at this time,” Bennett said.

Hence the Sonics are looking elsewhere.

Bennett said he remains concerned about Oklahoma City's long-term viability as an NBA market but has concerns about Kansas City, too, which already has two major-league franchises.

In conjunction with the NBA, Bennett's group is beginning to study both markets and that no other city is being considered at this time.

Bennett said the lack of broadcasting revenue is the biggest drawback to Oklahoma City, and probably Kansas City, also.

Bennett cited an old banker's saying: "Bad loans are made in good times.”

In other words, another oil boom has Oklahoma City flush with prosperity.

"It won't stay like this forever,” Bennett said. "Will companies spend dollars in down times? We're testing all that.”

But Oklahoma City's two-year support of the Hornets, plus the cooperative relationship between Oklahoma City government and business leaders, still makes OKC attractive.

"I think we'll get there,” Bennett said of deciding Oklahoma City is the best relocation site. "But we'll do so with involvement from the league.”

In the same way that Bennett drove around Seattle, dreaming of the future, he also has driven through downtown Oklahoma City and entertained grand thoughts.

"I've thought about that for a long time,” Bennett said. "Years and years. Even as I've seen how well we've done, I see a lot more to come.

"Government and private business working together, working for the greater good. I believe in that concept as strongly as ever. It's what's setting Oklahoma City apart these days.”

[betts]

It's a seller's market. New Orleans just came up with $18 million to build a practice facility for the Hornets, and we would have to do the same, as well as upgrade the Ford Center as a start. On the other hand, you get 82 nights of advertising on ESPN every year at a minimum, and you have a city with a professional team to entice new business. Quality of life improves considerably if you're a basketball fan.

[JWil]

I'm not really shocked by the above story. Bennett has wanted to move a team here forever and Seattle hasn't given a damn about the Sonics in awhile it seems.

In my mind, this is the start of a five-month dance toward the Sonics applying for relocation with the NBA after the Oct. 31 deadline Bennett agreed to. By Thanksgiving, I'd imagine it'd be pretty set in stone.

Start saving for those 2008-09 season seats.

[Pete]

This is all following the exact plan most of us predicted as soon as Bennett bought the team:

1. Act like you want to stay in Seattle but ask for way more than they'll give.
2. Play the "they rejected us, not the other way around" card.
3. Pretend to seriously consider other markets.
4. Use #3 to negotiate the best possible deal with OKC.
5. Get NBA approval to move to OKC due to all the above.

The only real question is in regards to timing. Will they try and relocate before the start of this season? Probably not but it's still a possibility as nobody wants a lame duck year in Seattle and once that's a certainty, everything is negotiable.

[metro]

Hands of Clay: Bennett drops opportunity
By Jerry Brewer

Seattle Times staff columnist




Related

Jerry's Extra Points blog: Going beyond the columns
Sonics Reader Response | Time to get creative

Ten days ago, it sounded like a basketball was bouncing in Sonics purgatory.

It sounded like hope, just a squirt, after the NBA draft lottery equipped Seattle with a No. 2 overall selection that will bear a surefire franchise player. We were talking hoops more than politics again. What beautiful noise, it seemed.

And then we opened our eyes, or rather, reality yanked our eyelids. That sound wasn't a bouncing ball, unfortunately. It was Sonics owner Clay Bennett, fumbling a precious, fragile opportunity again and again and again.

Just when you thought the man had reached his clumsy peak, he turned into a human buzz kill. He keeps calling timeouts to stop his own momentum.

Happy talk: Can Kevin Durant, the Sonics' likely draft pick, revolutionize the forward position?

Lump of Clay: "No hue and cry, no letters to the editor, nothing by the media or talk on the call-in shows, or no new ideas on how to get it done," Bennett told The Kansas City Star last week while complaining about stagnant arena talks in Seattle and flirting with Kansas City as a possible relocation destination. "No private ideas on the table."

Happy talk: What if Portland takes Durant No. 1 and leaves the Sonics to pick Greg Oden, the once-in-a-generation center prospect?

Lump of Clay: This week, Bennett told The Oklahoman, his hometown newspaper, he's "probably as pessimistic as I've ever been" about the future of the Sonics in Seattle.

Happy talk: With Oden and Durant coming this way, the Northwest will soon own a sizable portion of NBA intrigue.

Lump of Clay: "We're quite likely headed to Oklahoma City."

This rich guy needs a pacifier. And if it's not trimmed in gold, he'll probably cry some more.

For certain, this is Bennett's endgame. This is his over-the-top kid's fit, so he can claim an apathetic basketball community forced him to move the Sonics and Storm. He's such a bad actor.

The pessimists win; Bennett didn't purchase this team with an open mind. The Sonics were doomed in Seattle as soon as Howard Schultz sold the team to this franchise raider last July.

He's been so sensitive to criticism of his intentions because his intentions are as impure as rapper 50 Cent's mouth. He bought the Sonics and Storm to be a hometown hero in Oklahoma City unless he got the sweetest deal ever from Seattle.

Bennett used to talk of making a "good-faith effort" to keep the franchises in this area. He used to go as far as saying he wanted to keep them here. But when it came time for action, he made an ill-conceived effort to spur arena talks. When he met the same resistance Schultz faced, he quit and acted as if he never knew the battle would be this tough.

Boss Man Bennett has been either fraudulent or foolish. He had to research the political climate before his ownership group spent $350 million on a headache. If he didn't, this was the worst impulse buy in sports history.

Bennett is talking his way out of town. He's been whining more than Kobe Bryant. His mood turned in mid-April, when state lawmakers shunned his proposal to build a $500 million basketball chateau in Renton.

Now he says he's out if a deal can't be reached by Oct. 31. He complains that lucking into the No. 2 pick only has generated "a little bump" in ticket sales. Never mind that the draft is still a month away. Never mind that we have yet to see Durant and Oden play against NBA competition.

Boss Man Bennett huffs whenever his inadequate feel for the NBA is exposed, then shuffles his feet and speaks in grand "build a championship organization" terms while the rest of the league takes action.

Bennett is blowing kisses at other cities, but when will he hire a coach and general manager? Memphis just hired hot coaching commodity Marc Iavaroni, who would've been a good fit here. Orlando, which only started its search last week, lured University of Florida coach Billy Donovan to the NBA. Indiana has hired a coach (Jim O'Brien), and GMs have been named in Charlotte (Rod Higgins) and all but named in Phoenix (Steve Kerr).

Meanwhile, the Sonics can't seem to decide whether hotshot 30-year-old Spurs executive Sam Presti is old enough for their GM job (he is). And they don't have Kiki Vandeweghe, who has a proven track record, in their mix.

What exactly are they mixing?

And as far as the coaching search is concerned, let's just say somewhere Bob Hill is chuckling.

While Bennett reaches for a handkerchief, the team he purchased continues to sputter. Ten days ago, the Sonics had an opportunity for momentum. It's amazing how quickly Boss Man Bennett made it vanish.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com. For more on this column, read "Extra Points" at Sports | Extra Points | The Seattle Times.


Copyright &#169; 2007 The Seattle Times Company

[jbrown84]

What's this about Bennett being a whiner?

[Midtowner]

The writer is coming off like a HUGE whiner.

[jbrown84]

The writer is coming off like a HUGE whiner.

exactly

[PUGalicious]

The writer is coming off like a HUGE whiner.

exactly

I agree! I vote we all send pacifiers to the columnist!

[HOT ROD]

lots of "fans" up here are whining! I guess they expected Clay to be like the owner from Dallas - Mark Cuban? - and be so gung-ho and rally the troops here in Seattle.

But that is not the case, Seattle is a smart enough (and rich enough) market that rallying isnt necessary. Simply put - if you want the Sonics, build an arena where Clay wants it and get the funding in place before Oct 31. Plain and Simple.

The fact that this didn't happen means we really don't care up here. The leg would have at least voted to have the citizens vote if they thought we cared - but most do not, so why bother ruining your political career one way or another..... ??

But those columninsts and many Sonics fans up here are expecting Clay to be more vocal and less hands-off, which we know is Clay's style. He's a behind-scenes type of guy.

Oh well, this is good for OKC - you all should expect many more columns like this one!!! One thing's for sure, those Sonics 'stories/columns' sells papers.

[Easy180]

Anyone see the Bennett interview w/ Blevins last night on the sports blitz?...Dean got him to say everything just short of guaranteeing the team is headed to OKC...Also said he would be shocked at this point if something did get done in the next 5 months

Also said it looks very doubtful the Sonics would be playing here next season...Pretty funny here it is June and he is still not completely ruling that out

The video is on the sports page of newsok

[HOT ROD]

yeah, Clay ist leaving his options open. OKC is clearly the winner but Hush Hush.

I would really like to see him move in time for 2007. There is NO way for this to happen in Seattle given the way Clay wants it.

Renton Arena + his design + substantial public funding (when the WA leg dont meet again until NEXT JAN!!!!!!!).

And in order for public funding, the WA leg MUST approve King County's extending the taxes for Safeco Field to go toward the Renton Arena. This MUST get state approval. THEN, King County MUST approve, which they have said would require a public vote - they won't approve it themselves!!!

See what I mean, there's no way this will happen. Before we could even start talking about a public vote of King County, and King County doing anything - the WA leg would have had to approve it. And the time was up on April 22, to meet Clay's Oct 31 deadline.

Really, we're just sittin' and waitin' for 5 more months. Pretty stressful, and I honestly think Clay should just move on; recognizing that nothing could even get accomplished by Oct 31 anyways.