wow i thought the jailblazers would be sold before the sonics were. o well, okc has a great fan base for basketball and they deserve a team.
wow seattle got robbed... Well I guess they can join the club and lobby for the jailblazers but they have lower odds of getting them than say Vancouver.
I don't think they would have purchased the team if they did not intend to move it once the lease runs out.
well they are sold, and the group has to keep them in seattle for now. at least this season. they will probably move them in a year when a new arena is ready. will they then be in our division?
They can't be in our division. I think they'll have change the name of the Northwest Division to the NorthRockyMidwest Division for now. It all depends on what happens to the Hornets. I don't think they'll last much longer in New Orleans. If Seattle gets a new arena built after the Sonics leave, the Hornets could move there and they'll just switch divisions with the Sonics. If Stern gets his head out of his ass and allows them to move to Vegas, the Hornets could move to the Pacific and the Kings could go to the Northwest with the Sonics in the Southwest. Of course, that's if the Kings don't truck on out to Vegas first. Then, the Magic might be moving to KC or St. Louis, which means OKC might move to the Southeast Division.....wait, what were we talking about again??
Hope they change the team name. Oklahoma Sonics doesn't make any sense. Nor does Utah Jazz or New Orleans Hornets for that matter. Come to think of it, LA Lakers is in the same boat.
I love following stadium stuff - a consequence I guess of learning all that I did back in 2000. Seattle holds a lease with the Sonics through 2010, so they are going nowhere at the moment. It is conceivable that they could buy out of their lease at some point, but the Hornets aren't moving back to New Orleans until the 2007-08 season, so it won't happen soon. There are a few issues to be dealt with here. First, the NBA has been adamant that the Hornets will return to New Orleans. NO already has the 2008 all-star game and the commish is dead set against moving the team out of the Big Easy. Owner George Shinn, a notorious cheap skate and a hated owner back in Charlotte for good reason, would love nothing more than to move. He has ZERO loyalty to NO. But don't expect Stern to allow that on his watch. Second, OK probably wouldn't have been considered a legit option had it not been for the success the Hornets had there last season. OK has had the facilities in place since 1999 and has been ready for a team, but very few actually thought they had a shot. With the new Sonics owner being an OK businessman who has pushed HARD for the NBA for years, it would seem inevitable that a move will happen. Third, what does this do to Las Vegas' chances of getting a team. Could the northwest lose both its teams - one to OK and one to LV? Probably not. But, it does beg the question because LV has been pushing extremely hard and owners are starting to listen. Stern is still not thrilled with the idea of a team in Sin City and who can blame him? Anyone else think that pro athletes in that city on a daily basis - hero worshipped by fans because they are the first and only team in the city's history - is a bad idea? Still, the money would be enormous and, if it weren't for the gambling and general debauchery, LV would already have probably every major sport. Fourth, because the lease runs through 2010, it gives Seattle an opportunity to prevent the team from moving. No owner is going to want to announce plans anytime soon to move the team simply because he would have to play his team for FOUR YEARS as a lame duck. We saw how bad it was for the Oilers and the NBA saw the disaster that was the Hornets before they moved. Can you imagine four years of that??? That means either the owner will try to buy out of the lease or push for a new arena. Expect the latter first if only for looks. If that fails, and that is likely, I could see them trying for the former and hoping for the best. If and when that happens, it could be a disaster in Seattle. Fifth, don't expect Seattle or Washington state to pony up any dough for this one. The state has been cash strapped for the past five years struggling with budget crises. Seattle just built a new ballpark that was a HUGE money pit based on poor building plans and a really bad deal with the Mariners. They aren't going to take another political hit. --- If I had to make a prediction, I'd say that the new owner puts on a good face and looks at all his options. Financially, it would be the smart thing to do (and none of these guys are stupid financially) and he has time given the lease and the Hornets existence in OK. I would be surprised if anything happened this season. But, I could see the rumblings starting next offseason after the Hornets return to NO. And, I'd be surprised if we didn't hear the real intentions of the new owner following the 2007-2008 season.
Good read on the stadium stuff. What about the hoop stuff? Any indication how this group might proceed?
yes, definately, it shouldn't be a problem. all rockets need to do is trade away 'battier, alston, sura, snyder, and head' or 'howard, alston, sura, snyder, and head' for expiring contracts or trade exceptions. after they sign lewis, rockets can also re-sign bowen. i hear he has some younger brothers who are just as good. there's enough of them to fill out the rest of the roster.
I live in Seattle and they are gone.There is something about they only have to stay through this season. If they don't get an arena deal before then they are gone. Seattle is not going to build them an arena.
