Maloofs agree on deal to sell Kings

[Findog]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8864092/sacramento-kings-owners-reach-agreement-seattle-group-buy-team-sources-say

The Maloof family that owns the Sacramento Kings has reached an agreement to sell the controlling interest in the franchise to a Seattle group intent on moving it in time for next season.

Sources told ESPN.com that NBA teams were formally notified Sunday night that the Kings have been valued at $525 million and that the Maloofs and a group led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen have executed a purchase and sale agreement, which the NBA confirmed through a statement Monday morning.

The Seattle group intends to file for relocation by the league's March 1 deadline.Although the sale still requires formal league approval, ownership transfers typically go through when they reach this phase.

The agreement to transfer the 65 percent majority stake in the Kings to the Seattle group headed by Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer represents the 53 percent owned by the Maloofs and an additional 12 percent from minority owner Bob Hernreich.

The NBA announced Monday: "The proposed transaction is subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors and has been referred to the Board's committee process for review."

Sources said that there has not yet been an agreement submitted on the remaining 35 percent of the franchise, which is held by minority shareholders, not the Maloofs.

"We have always appreciated and treasured our ownership of the Kings and have had a great admiration for the fans and our team members," Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said in a statement on behalf of the family. "We would also like to thank Chris Hansen for his professionalism during our negotiation. Chris will be a great steward for the franchise."

"While we are not at liberty to discuss the terms of the transaction or our plans for the franchise given the confidential nature of the agreement and NBA regulations regarding public comments during a pending transaction, we would just like to extend our sincerest compliments and gratitude toward the Maloof family," Hansen said in a statement. "Our negotiations with the family were handled with the utmost honor and professionalism and we hope to continue their legacy and be great stewards of this NBA franchise in the coming years and decades."

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said: "While there is more work ahead, this is a major step toward bringing the Sonics home."

One source close to the process told ESPN.com's J.A. Adande that the Maloof family, as it was hoping, will retain a "small piece" of minority interest in the franchise after its expected relocation to Seattle and renaming as the SuperSonics for next season. It's believed, though, that the Maloofs will hold no decision-making power once control of the franchise is transferred.

The deal, according to sources familiar with the specifics, calls for the Maloofs to receive a nonrefundable $30 million deposit from the Seattle group by Feb. 1. The NBA, furthermore, is fully expecting Hansen to apply for relocation to Seattle for the 2013-14 season by the league's March 1 deadline, enabling the league's board of governors to vote on the application at their annual April meeting.

But Sacramento officials are not surrendering their long-running bid to keep the franchise in the California capital.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said last week he had received permission from NBA commissioner David Stern to present a counteroffer to league owners from buyers who would keep the Kings in Sacramento.

Johnson, himself a former All-Star point guard in the NBA, said in a statement late Sunday night that the city remained undeterred despite the agreement with the Seattle group.

"Sacramento has proven that it is a strong NBA market with a fan base that year in and year out has demonstrated a commitment to the Kings by selling out 19 of 27 seasons in a top-20 market and owning two of the longest sellout streaks in NBA history," Johnson said.

"When it comes to keeping the team in our community, Sacramento is playing to win. In particular, we have been focused like a laser on identifying an ownership group that will both have the financial resources desired by the NBA and the vision to make the Kings the NBA equivalent of what the Green Bay Packers have been in the NFL."

Stern said last week the NBA was still willing to listen to Johnson.

"The mayor of Sacramento has asked me ... could I come in and address the board of governors or the relocation committee?' " Stern said last week before the New York Knicks played the Detroit Pistons in London. "And I said, 'Always.' ... Sacramento has been particularly supportive (as an NBA community since 1985 and is) always welcome to present."

With the OK to present to the board, Johnson said last week that his city is in a "six-week sprint" to put together a proposal.

The Kings were in New Orleans preparing for a matinee game against the Hornets when news came down of the agreement.

"It's just a little weird (but) at the same time I love Sacramento. I love everything about it. Love the fans; the organization just brought me in with open arms. That's all I really know in this league is Sacramento," said Kings guard Isaiah Thomas, a Tacoma, Wash., native. "But then I am from that area back home. It's just kind of a different situation. Whatever I say about Seattle, Sacramento fans might be mad at me, and whatever I say about Sacramento, Seattle fans might be mad at me. I just love both cities."

Added Kings coach Keith Smart, "For us, I'm going to get on the floor and coach the game and players are going to get out there and make shots, take shots, make mistakes, make great plays. And then we'll deal with it as we do off the floor."

According to Yahoo! Sports, which reported earlier this month that the Maloofs were in serious talks with Hansen and Ballmer, Seattle's plan calls for the Kings to play two seasons in the SuperSonics' old home downtown at KeyArena while construction is completed on a new building.

The sale price of $525 million, sources said, is regarded as an overall valuation of the franchise and also includes relocation fees.

Given the league's desire to halt the long-running saga caused by the Kings' uncertain future in Sacramento, as well as its hope of seeing NBA basketball return to Seattle before Stern's scheduled exit from the league office in February 2014, approval of the move by the NBA relocation committee is widely considered a formality.

The committee features several current NBA owners and is chaired by Clay Bennett, who controversially moved the original Sonics to Oklahoma City in 2008 but left behind the team's nickname and logo. Plans for a new $500 million arena in Seattle were approved in October.

Miami Heat star LeBron James took umbrage at news of the deal, tweeting: "So the Kings getting sold for 525M!! And the owners ain't making no money huh? What the hell we have a (lockout) for. Get the hell out of here."

[Findog]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-130121-Kings/nba-does-sacramento-kings-news-mean

1. For the league, the Kings/Seattle news is __________________.

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com: An upgrade. The league is moving to a larger television market, something to keep in mind when the national TV deal expires in 2016. They'll be able to get a larger local TV deal as well, which will drive up the pot split with the players. They'll be the only NBA team in Washington, rather than the No. 4 NBA team in California.

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN.com: Ecstasy. Two months after the Memphis Grizzlies were sold for $377 million, the Kings fetch a valuation of $525 million. It's clearly a fine day to own an NBA franchise. On a secondary level, the league re-enters the 12th-largest television market in the United States and almost certainly makes an upgrade in the ownership ranks.

Mark Haubner, The Painted Area: Bad news overall. Restoring a great fan base does not compensate for losing another one. We now have two stories of heartbreak versus one of renewal overall. That's 33 percent good and, league-wide, that feels about right -- though some precincts in Northern California are reporting that estimate's about 33 percent too high.

Zach Harper, A Wolf Among Wolves: Confusing. It's hard to know how to feel about this. The city of Sacramento has been deceived by an ownership group that agreed to an arena deal and did everything asked of it to retain their team. The city of Seattle is getting a team back to a fantastic market and fan base that wasn't in position to fight for their arena/team. Mixed feelings here, and a city still gets the short end.

Jonathan Santiago, Cowbell Kingdom: Decision time. Most reports are suggesting that approving a Kings move north is just a formality. But is it? The NBA invested a year of its time and resources to broker an arena deal that it, the city of Sacramento and entertainment giant AEG all agreed to last year. Had the Maloofs not backed out, a new arena would've been in construction in downtown Sacramento. If Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson can make a compelling case for California's capital city, just as he did two years ago when a Kings move to Anaheim was all but a done deal, this saga has one more chapter to be written.

2. For NBA fans, this news is __________________.

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Adande: A warning. Sacramento fans were loud and loyal, and it wasn't enough to keep their team. They had city officials working hard on their behalf and they couldn't keep their team. This was a stark reminder that no matter how much you might care, the love flows in only one direction.

Arnovitz: Largely irrelevant. Fans are adaptable creatures. On Sunday, nobody outside of northeastern Ohio gave a second thought to what the Ravens' AFC title means for the Cleveland Browns' historical legacy. When the SuperSonics become contenders again, few will remember or care that the team has roots in Sacramento.

Haubner: A disheartening reminder. It's a reminder that their fandom serves at the pleasure of the whims of ownership. Malodorous stews of petulance, incompetence and arena hostage-taking by Howard Schultz and now the Maloofs have delivered body blows to NBA fans in both Seattle and Sacramento within a five-year period. Keep that arena up, or you could be next.

Harper: Scary. The city of Sacramento and the Maloofs agreed to an arena deal and celebrated at half court. Then, the Maloofs backed out of the agreement, claiming it wasn't a fair deal and it was based on wild projections for the new arena plan. So what happens now to all of the small markets fighting for their teams? Can NBA cities feel any confidence that they'll be able to retain their franchises?

Santiago: Heartbreaking. Fans around the league are probably excited about the reported return of the Sonics, but they're also conflicted by the possible loss of the Kings, who just 10 years ago were one of the NBA's model franchises.

3. For fans in Sacramento, this news is __________________.


Adande: Not their fault. They stood by their team, they rallied when called upon. They cheered when the Kings were bad, they reached jet-takeoff decibels when the Kings were good. The only thing wrong with Kings fans is there weren't quite enough of them in the city to make the TV valuations high enough, and there weren't enough corporations to pick up the tabs.

Arnovitz: A somber relief. Despite rumblings that there were serious efforts being undertaken in Sacramento to keep the Kings in town, the Seattle group wasn't going to be outbid, and that's been clear for a while. Kings fans deserved better than this.

Haubner: Heartbreaking. Sacramento fans deserved the Kings for all eternity just for the way they supported the team in the 13 dreadful pre-Chris Webber seasons, much less their delirious years of contention. With owners sitting flush following a big lockout win and with a substantial increase in television rights on the horizon, an expansion team for Sacramento should be considered.

Harper: Unfair. The city did everything it needed to do and it looks like it will have nothing to show for it. The fans may end up migrating to another team like the Warriors or just being fans of certain players or becoming fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Or worse, they might end up hating the NBA because they feel their team was taken from them unfairly.

Santiago: Galvanizing. When news of a deal between the Maloofs and the Hansen/Ballmer group materialized more than 10 days ago, Kings fans didn't throw their arms up in defeat. Instead, they mobilized and ramped up their energy to show the league why they've been one of the best fanbases in the NBA over the past 28 seasons. This news is only going to make grassroots efforts like Here We Buy step into overdrive.

4. For fans in Seattle, this news is __________________.


Adande: A consolation prize. They were robbed of a franchise by greedy owners who wanted them to build an arena after they'd just spent $1 billion on baseball and football stadiums. Five years later they'll have a team, but instead of cheering for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook they'll get DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans. They lost in the exchange.

Arnovitz: Retribution for the grand larceny perpetrated on the city in 2008 when their team left town. They're aware they can't reacquire Kevin Durant, but they also know that meaningful professional basketball will be played in Seattle within the year. And with that comes all the rituals that fandom offers when your city has a team.

Haubner: Is "ListerBlisterious" a word? From the depths of one of the worst sports years ever for a city in 2008, Seattle sports have emerged from the ashes with the nearly restored Sonics, one of the NFL's most promising teams in the Seahawks, a rabidly supported and beloved soccer team in the Sounders, and … oh yeah, the Mariners still stink.

Harper: Incredible. No, they don't get Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Hasheem Thabeet back to root for. But they do get to have a team again and, pretty soon, will have a brand new arena to go with it. One of the NBA's biggest markets will return. It will have a competent ownership group, which will build this team up once again. They should feel happy to get this, but be respectful of Sacramento.

Santiago: Bittersweet. The Sonics faithful are ecstatic that the prospects of bringing their team back from the dead are looking better each day. However, it's likely disconcerting that they're having to take another city's team just as Oklahoma City did five years ago.

5. For the Kings franchise, this news is __________________.


Adande: Settling. There are many things wrong with this team, but the uncertainty of its location and ownership situation had to disrupt its routines. Soon, they'll have a destination and an ownership group flush with cash. Plus, they'll get to enjoy the sunsets over the Puget Sound.

Arnovitz: Just another stop on a nomadic route that had already taken the Kings from upstate New York to Cincinnati to Omaha to Kansas City to Sacramento. Strong ownership is the lifeblood of a franchise, and, in that respect, the Kings will profit.

Haubner: A sign of hope. Ownership matters in pro sports, and the soon-to-be Sonics will now go from guys who've been broke for several years to a promising ownership group. If the front-office personnel gets a much-needed transition to modernity, Sonics 2.0 will have a chance of molding some intriguing young pieces into a contending roster. But man, the West is tough.

Harper: Conflicting. The good news is they get rid of the incompetent ownership group that ran the franchise into the ground and made it a laughing stock around the league. The bad news is there are dozens, hundreds and thousands of people facing the prospects of losing their jobs in Sacramento.

Santiago: Transformative. The Kings have been a rudderless ship the plast seven years. With the Maloofs and their purported money woes out of the picture, this team now has a chance of rising from the West's abyss. The question now is will that happen in Sacramento or Seattle?

[ElNono]

Steve Ballmer? Gotta wonder if they're going to rename them the Seattle Windows...

[Findog]

Steve Ballmer? Gotta wonder if they're going to rename them the Seattle Windows...

I know you're joking but all indications are they will take the SuperSonics name and colors.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/60fc8342631b2278e44dc6757f901f61/tumblr_mgdkmsfOha1qe1x8qo1_1280.png

[Seventyniner]

I know you're joking but all indications are they will take the SuperSonics name and colors.

Right. Part of the agreement for the Thunder to move to OC is that the colors, logo, franchise records, etc. would stay.

And it's time for rehash #17 of my rant about ESPN and announcers when it relates to the Thunder. The Thunder are basically an expansion team because all of the Sonics franchise stuff stayed behind. The Thunder franchise has only been to the Finals once (remember, the Seattle days don't count), Durant is the franchise's all-time leading scorer, etc.

[Findog]

Right. Part of the agreement for the Thunder to move to OC is that the colors, logo, franchise records, etc. would stay.

And it's time for rehash #17 of my rant about ESPN and announcers when it relates to the Thunder. The Thunder are basically an expansion team because all of the Sonics franchise stuff stayed behind. The Thunder franchise has only been to the Finals once (remember, the Seattle days don't count), Durant is the franchise's all-time leading scorer, etc.

Officially they "share" the history with the city of Seattle and a future Sonics 2.0 franchise, but I can't imagine why they wouldn't just want to give the history back and consider themselves an expansion team. It's kind of silly that they can't issue out #20 to a player because of Gary Payton, who never played a game in Oklahoma City.

[Findog]

My, they are aiming high. Making a Godfather offer to RC Buford would be a good move. Maybe he needs a new challenge after building a semi-dynasty in San Antonio:

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-on-basketball/21593984/report-seattle-ownership-group-looking-to-add-phil-jackson-rc-buford

The Seattle SuperSonics could be back by next season, and with that, the Hansen ownership group is going to need to make a big splash with taking the team in a new direction. As of right now, the Sacramento Kings have been a rudderless ship, toiling in the waters of mediocrity and mismanagement.

How do you fix that? Apparently, you go out and try to hire the best in the business at various positions your new team needs. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo1 Sports reports that the Chris Hansen ownership group will try to hire R.C. Buford or Larry Bird to run the team:

The new Seattle NBA ownership group has begun discussing possible candidates to run its franchise and has deliberated whether to target San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and former Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

To convince Buford to leave San Antonio, where he enjoys close personal and professional relationships with Popovich and owner Peter Holt, the Seattle group might need to offer a small percentage of equity into the franchise and give him autonomy to assemble and run basketball operations. Any potential offer in Seattle would need to be extraordinary to get Buford to leave the Spurs.

Bird, the NBA's 2011 Executive of the Year, stepped away from the Pacers in the spring to take care of some health issues, but had planned to return in 2013 or '14. Bird wants to work again and there's nothing contractual that binds him to the Pacers. Donnie Walsh and Kevin Pritchard are running the Pacers' front office now.

But wait, there's more!

Not only will the Seattle owners try to get a great front-office presence to set the tone for how the organization is operated, but they're going to go after one of, if not the greatest coach in NBA history. Peter Vescey tweeted that Phil Jackson is a target for the organization to be a part of the front office:


At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if they fired the DeLorean up to 88 mph and signed 1992 Michael Jordan to be the franchise player for the new Seattle SuperSonics (assuming the sale and relocation is approved, of course). The only way this could get better for Seattle is if the team brought in Kevin Calabro to be the play-by-play man and Gary Payton to be the analyst on local broadcasts.

You have to give this group credit: They're trying to make a big splash and get this organization turned to the proper direction.

[ElNono]

Are you a closet Sonics fan, Fin?

[Findog]

Are you a closet Sonics fan, Fin?

Yeah, a bit. They had a lot of ex-Mavs ( Ellis, Perkins, Schrempf) and I naturally gravitated towards them as a mistress when the Mavs were terrible. Of course I would root for Dallas anytime they played Seattle. When the playoffs rolled around, I needed a team to root for to get invested, and I really liked the Kemp/Payton Sonics. I liked the skyline basketball logo, the green and gold classic uniforms that they wore from the late 70's to mid 90's, and I liked the city of Seattle.

Ironically enough, before the Mavs became good enough to make it a rivalry, I used to root for the Spurs in the playoffs in the early Robinson days.

[ElNono]

Yeah, a bit. They had a lot of ex-Mavs ( Ellis, Perkins, Schrempf) and I naturally gravitated towards them as a mistress when the Mavs were terrible. Of course I would root for Dallas anytime they played Seattle. When the playoffs rolled around, I needed a team to root for to get invested, and I really liked the Kemp/Payton Sonics. I liked the skyline basketball logo, the green and gold classic uniforms that they wore from the late 70's to mid 90's, and I liked the city of Seattle.

Ironically enough, before the Mavs became good enough to make it a rivalry, I used to root for the Spurs in the playoffs in the early Robinson days.

Good stuff... I agree there should be a team in Seattle... I thought what Bennet did was a travesty, tbh.. but the Seattle city was begging for it too...

[Ashy Larry]

the players will love Seattle ...... hmmmmm, the smell of cow dung in the morning or the fresh air of the Pacific Northwest.......... great fans up there as well. They're gonna take that 12th man mentality from the Seahawks and apply it to the Sonix. May take them a while to be a contender but those games with the Sonix vs. OKC will be the shit.

[Ashy Larry]

And GP will finally get his jersey retired

[Findog]

Good stuff... I agree there should be a team in Seattle... I thought what Bennet did was a travesty, tbh.. but the Seattle city was begging for it too...

Seattle is the largest TV market without an NBA team, and based on the comments made by LeBron and Ray Allen when the Heat recently played in Portland, it's one of the most popular cities among players. Tampa/St. Pete is a larger tv market but I think they're considered part of the Orlando Magic territory.

Sacramento interestingly enough is the 20th-largest tv market, so if they build a new arena I think they have a decent shot to nab whatever team with the shakiest least/arena situation. I still don't get why the league is so committed to New Orleans. I know they just sold to Benson and probably aren't going anywhere for the next few years, but I'd rather OKC, Seattle and Sacramento all have teams instead of New Orleans still being in the league. I'm glad Seattle is getting a team back but it sucks that it has to come at the expense of dissolving the Sacramento Kings. All of this could have been avoided if the NBA had just kept the Hornets in OKC instead of sending them back to Louisiana.

[Findog]

Good stuff... I agree there should be a team in Seattle... I thought what Bennet did was a travesty, tbh.. but the Seattle city was begging for it too...

With four years of hindsight looking back, I don't think Bennett should be considered the biggest villain by Sonics fans. How is he any different from their hero Chris Hansen, other than Hansen hasn't hidden at all what his intentions are as far as to relocate his new toy? They should be madder at Stern and Schultz than Bennett. It should have been crystal clear what Bennett was going to do as soon as he had his hands on the team.

[Findog]

Wonder how the divisions will shake out now that the Sonics are back. You can keep them in the Pacific but they should be divisional rivals with the Blazers. I'd do it this way:

Pacific:
Sonics
Blazers
Warriors
Lakers
Clippers

Northwest:
Bucks
Wolves
Jazz
Nuggets
Suns

Southwest:
Mavs
Spurs
Rockets
Thunder
Grizzlies

Southeast:
Pelicans
Hawks
Bobcats/Hornets
Magic
Heat

Atlantic:
Wizards
Sixers
Nets
Celtics
Knicks

Midwest:
Raptors
Pistons
Pacers
Bulls
Cavs

[ElNono]

With four years of hindsight looking back, I don't think Bennett should be considered the biggest villain by Sonics fans. How is he any different from their hero Chris Hansen, other than Hansen hasn't hidden at all what his intentions are as far as to relocate his new toy? They should be madder at Stern and Schultz than Bennett. It should have been crystal clear what Bennett was going to do as soon as he had his hands on the team.

Bennett originally said he wouldn't do it and then he did... I think the city of Seattle had some hand in it too, and to be honest, Stern has been warning them about it for a while until the shit hit the fan. It was a game of bluffs and Seattle's bluff was called.

I agree it sucks the Kings are going down in order to save the Sonics... but given time perhaps the Bobcats/Wolves will relocate there...

[Ashy Larry]

Wonder how the divisions will shake out now that the Sonics are back. You can keep them in the Pacific but they should be divisional rivals with the Blazers. I'd do it this way:

Pacific:
Sonics
Blazers
Warriors
Lakers
Clippers

Northwest:
Bucks
Wolves
Jazz
Nuggets
Suns

Southwest:
Mavs
Spurs
Rockets
Thunder
Grizzlies

Southeast:
Pelicans
Hawks
Bobcats/Hornets
Magic
Heat

Atlantic:
Wizards
Sixers
Nets
Celtics
Knicks

Midwest:
Raptors
Pistons
Pacers
Bulls
Cavs


probably take out the Suns and Jazz and move them to the Pacific maybe. You can't get no more northwest than the Pacific Northwest. And I don't see Anchorage, Juneau or Barrow getting a squad anytime soon.

[Findog]

Bennett originally said he wouldn't do it and then he did... I think the city of Seattle had some hand in it too, and to be honest, Stern has been warning them about it for a while until the shit hit the fan. It was a game of bluffs and Seattle's bluff was called.

I agree it sucks the Kings are going down in order to save the Sonics... but given time perhaps the Bobcats/Wolves will relocate there...

Along with the soon-to-be Pelicans, those are the most "expendable" franchises in terms of lack of heritage and tradition. There are die-hards in every fanbase but those three teams would be missed the least in their current cities.

[Findog]

probably take out the Suns and Jazz and move them to the Pacific maybe. You can't get no more northwest than the Pacific Northwest. And I don't see Anchorage, Juneau or Barrow getting a squad anytime soon.

So Pacific:
Suns
Lakers
Warriors
Jazz
Clippers

Northwest:
Blazers
Sonics
Thunder
Wolves
Nuggets


Sonics in the same division with the Thunder would be great. They are natural rivals given the history.

[Ashy Larry]

So Pacific:
Suns
Lakers
Warriors
Jazz
Clippers

Northwest:
Blazers
Sonics
Thunder
Wolves
Nuggets


Sonics in the same division with the Thunder would be great. They are natural rivals given the history.


I could live with that but if they would realign, Memphis would have to be in the East and OKC would have to be in the Southwest. Then you may have to take one of the Eastern most squad to move them out west. That Southwest Division would be gangsta.

OKC
Spurs
Mavs
Rockets
Hornets

[Leetonidas]

I read the other day that Phil Jackson is rumored to be the one who will head their FO

[Findog]

I read the other day that Phil Jackson is rumored to be the one who will head their FO

Actually they are supposedly going to go after RC Buford. Don't know what it would take to get him to leave San Antonio.

[ElNono]

Actually they are supposedly going to go after RC Buford. Don't know what it would take to get him to leave San Antonio.

It was reported yesterday that RC is not going anywhere...

[baseline bum]

That would be a disaster to lose Buford after losing Presti. The Spurs would drop right back into their post Gervin era level (for a long time) within a couple of seasons without the amazing drafts this team has had over the years.

[jeebus]

Actually they are supposedly going to go after RC Buford. Don't know what it would take to get him to leave San Antonio.
They'd have to hire a team of people to suck him off daily as well as provide clean urine for when he goes on one of his drunken benders. Even then it might not be enough.

[Findog]

That would be a disaster to lose Buford after losing Presti. The Spurs would drop right back into their post Gervin era level (for a long time) within a couple of seasons without the amazing drafts this team has had over the years.

You certainly can't blame them for wanting to get him:

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/1/21/3899038/wojnarowski-seattle-owners-targeting-r-c-buford

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/1/22/3903142/rc-buford-rumors-seattle-supersonics-spurs


The ownership group that will move the Sacramento Kings to Seattle reportedly wanted to bring in San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford to head up their new-look Sonics, but Spurs officials laughed off the idea of the longtime front office official leaving for Seattle -- or anyplace else, for that matter.

For more on the story, visit Pounding the Rock

Buford has been with the Spurs since 1994 and has been the team's general manager since 2002, after serving as the team's president for five years. They've had success that's hard to match with Buford in the fold, winning four titles, three since he took over as general manager. Needless to say, it will be difficult for anybody to pry Buford from San Antonio, as a source told Spurs reporter Mike Monroe:

"He loves living in San Antonio and loves what we have built here," the source said. "You could probably find about 25 of the other 29 franchises that would like to have R.C., so the speculation is understandable, but he's staying with the Spurs."

The new Seattle ownership group was reportedly considering either Buford or Larry Bird to be in charge of revamping a franchise that has had little success of late in Sacramento, and seemingly would have offered a lot - including stake in the team and autonomy - to get Buford. But if the source is telling the truth about Buford's desire to stay with the Spurs, it seems like it will be tougher to pry Buford from San Antonio than it was to get the Kings from Sacramento.

[Latarian Milton]

suns aint nowhere close to being a NW team when it has maybe the nation's hottest summers, and no one gives a shit about a portland-seattle rivalry these days imho

[Jacob1983]

So are the Kings' banners and retired jerseys going to stay at Sleep Train Arena aka Arco Arena?