By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek
May 17, 2013
Following the recommendation of the NBA’s relocation committee, the league’s Board of Governors voted 22-8 against moving the Sacramento Kings to Seattle. While current Kings owners the Maloof family still must reach a formal deal to sell the team to Vivek Ranadive’s group, the league’s vote ends any chance of the team moving to Seattle next season. With the team staying in Sacramento, the city will contribute $250 million to a new arena for the Kings.
To keep the team, Sacramento had to hold off a late push from the Seattle group, which at the last minute, increased their offer from $550 to $625 million plus a $116 million relocation fee, the richest in league history. Seattle has been without a team since 2008, when the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City and rebranded as the Thunder. Though Seattle won’t be getting the Kings, the league remains committed to bringing basketball back to the Emerald City, with incoming commissioner Adam Silver hinting that expansion could be an option in the future.
