Most basketball fans figured that the Sacramento Kings packing up shop and moving over to Anaheim was a given and a done deal. But NBA bettors might want to hang on a minute as it looks like there could be a last-minute deal to keep the Kings in Sacramento. It’s still not likely, but it’s a possibility.
Sacramento’s political and business leaders are still trying to talk the NBA into keeping the franchise in town. Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star and now mayor of Sacramento, said on April 20th that some team owners were impressed by Sacramento’s proposition of a $7 million commitment to keep the team from moving. This involved new advertising deals, ticket sales and various other types of financial support from local backers and businesses.
In addition, the operators of Thunder Valley Casino, which sits just northeast of Sacramento, have agreed to pump in another $1 million, which brings the total to a minimum of $8 million. But these days, that amount wouldn’t even pay the salary of one top player. Also, none of the money would go towards the cost of building a new sports arena in Sacramento, and that’s one of the main reasons the Kings will likely be moving to Anaheim.
However, Johnson and his backers do have a little more time to change some minds as NBA Commissioner David Stern has extended the relocation request deadline for the Kings. They were originally supposed to file all of the paperwork by April 18th, but Stern has extended it to May 2md after saying the NBA wanted to look a little more closely at the situation.
The NBA said it will send a couple of representatives to visit Sacramento in the near future, including Clay Bennett, who’s the chairman of the league’s relocation committee. The extension will give the Maloof family, who own the Kings, more time to think about things and it will also give the city of Sacramento more time to make a good case for keeping the franchise where it is. However, it looks like it’s all going to come down to the building of a new arena.
Johnson said the city’s first choice is for the Maloofs to stay put, but if they do decide to leave he said they’d like to attract a new NBA franchise to Sacramento. It’s been reported that tycoon Ron Burkle may be interested in buying the Kings, but he and the city are running out of time and the Maloofs insist they won’t sell the club. Johnson said his group will point to the fact that there is a huge fan base in Sacramento and the city is a top-20 media market that doesn’t have the competition of any other pro sports franchises.
Reports have also said there’s a drive taking place in Anaheim to collect signatures that would force a public vote on whether or not Anaheim should spend $75 million in bringing the Kings to that city. If Johnson and his group fail, bettors making their NBA picks could soon have Anaheim as a betting option.
