NBA Team update

[FirebreathingMonkey]

For those who care, here are new NBA commissioners words on Seattle getting a new team.

While NBA fans in Seattle have been hoping an expansion team might be in the cards for the hoops-starved city, new NBA commissioner Adam Silver dashed those dreams Wednesday in his first comments since taking over. "Seattle is a wonderful market. It would be very additive to the league to have a team there," Silver said in an interview this week with ESPN. "But we're not planning on expanding right now, so it's not a function of price."

There had been some optimism the NBA would consider granting Seattle an expansion team after Silver took over from longtime commissioner David Stern.
That optimism was buoyed by comments from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who said earlier this season "there's a good chance of (expansion) happening, but I have no idea when."
Silver said expansion is off the table for now because not all 30 NBA teams are profitable and some face significant financial challenges.
The biggest worry in the league is Milwaukee, where Silver has said the aging Bradley Center was unfit for the NBA and the team needed a new arena to remain competitive. Longtime owner Herb Kohl announced in December he would sell a portion of the team, but only to investors who promised to keep the team in Milwaukee.

The situation is reminiscent of Sacramento, where the Kings' former owners struck a deal with hedge fund manager Chris Hansen to sell the team and move it to Seattle. NBA owners ultimately voted against the sale, and the Kings were sold to a new investment group who struck a deal with the city to build a new arena.
While there's little talk of the Bucks moving from Milwaukee to Seattle at this point, the Emerald City would undoubtedly be a desirable destination for the NBA if a deal can't be struck in Milwaukee.
And Silver made clear the league finds Seattle an attractive market, which should offer some hope for those longing for the NBA's return.

"[The Kings decision] should not have been received as a no to Seattle," Silver said. "There's no doubt if we were prepared to expand to Seattle right now, we'd get an enormous price for the franchise."

 

[Mr. Tacoma]

The NBA is over-expanded anyway. I don't see them stretching their already thin talent pool any further.

 

[gowazzu02]

honestly dont really care....... f david stern and his league (i know i know adam silver...whatever he's sterns stool lacky in my book)

 

[jakedog56]

honestly dont really care....... f david stern and his league (i know i know adam silver...whatever he's sterns stool lacky in my book)

You may be right but this could be his opportunity to take the reigns and show that he is his own man as the new commish.

Not holding out much hope though. The NBA screwed Seattle when they left and they went out of their way to support Sacto over Seattle. It seems that the league will continue to use Seattle to threaten other markets with shaky support.

 

[gowazzu02]

You may be right but this could be his opportunity to take the reigns and show that he is his own man as the new commish.

Not holding out much hope though. The NBA screwed Seattle when they left and they went out of their way to support Sacto over Seattle. It seems that the league will continue to use Seattle to threaten other markets with shaky support.

exactly Seattle to the NBA = what LA is to the NFL.

Any city not willing to build a new shiny arena with public funds??? we'll move you to seattle!!! ok ok heres the tax money.....

 

[Mr. Tacoma]

I'm over the NBA. There's like what what, 4 good teams and 800 crappy ones? It's just a lousy product IMO.

I'm on the 'bring the NHL to Seattle' wagon. Crazy we don't have a team.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

Not looking good, all smoke blowing from the NBA, it sucks because Seattle deserve's an team ASAP back in the Pacific Division.

 

[gohusk]

The NBA's gone to hell. It's not even the refs and their biased play calling anymore. Now you have the players colluding with each other trying to put together these lame "super-teams". Even if we did get another team do you think we'd be able to draw in marque free agents to come to the Pacific NW? They want the lame glam bs, good weather, and a fan base that's willing to treat them like they're gods. I'd much rather see a hockey team. I used to be a huge basketball fan but Stern ran the league to the ground.

 

[WizardHawk]

You aren't going to get a hockey team without getting a basketball team first. Like them or not, you need to pull for the return of the NBA if you want the NHL here.

 

[Mr. Tacoma]

You aren't going to get a hockey team without getting a basketball team first. Like them or not, you need to pull for the return of the NBA if you want the NHL here.

Why's that? To share a stadium?

 

[SeattleCoug]

Not really sure what we expected here. It was never a guarantee things would change with Silver taking over. My opinion is until Milwaukees situation gets resolved there will be no expansion talks. I think the lease in that place ends in 2017 meaning they need something in place for a new arena a year before. I wouldnt really expect serious talks of team here before that time frame.

 

[SeattleCoug]

You aren't going to get a hockey team without getting a basketball team first. Like them or not, you need to pull for the return of the NBA if you want the NHL here.

Not sure I agree with that. The NHL actually seems open to expansion where as the NBA doesnt which makes sense. The only issues with that is getting the city's MOU changed to include the NHL and an ownership group.

 

[Destroydacre]

I quit watching the NBA after the 98 lockout so this really doesn't matter to me. The way I see it is the NBA is more than happy to use Seattle as a threat to other cities to build publicly financed arenas. "Oh you don't want to build us a brand new arena, well we'll just move your franchise to Seattle." The NBA doesn't actually want a team in Seattle they just act like they do to give potential relocation threats weight. What I'm hopeful for is an NHL franchise in Seattle. Bettman has made it sound like that's something that he actually wants to get done. The NHL is such a better league than the NBA it's not even funny (and don't get me wrong I love basketball, just not the NBA). I think if Seattle does land an NHL team, the city would be willing to amend the MOU on the new arena to get that thing built even without an NBA team.

 

[WizardHawk]

Why's that? To share a stadium?

The existing MOU with Hansen and his group requires an NBA franchise first and does not require the NHL, but is something they will work on after. The economic model requires both to sustain enough permanent revenue to keep the arena in enough profits to pay back the public funds. The NBA alone can provide enough income if they have enough concerts, conventions, and events, but the NHL cannot.

The only way you are getting the NHL here is for a different project to work on public funds to create a new facility. There are currently no arenas that are up to NHL standards. Even Key would need way too much renovations to accommodate a permanent ice system. You would also need a different ownership group to step forward for it.

Never say never, but it isn't likely you will find enough support in the city for an NHL only solution. It brings in less money and the NHL has had much more financial problems over the years. There is a lot of stability questions and in a city that found it hard to support even the sports that weren't in flux you are really hoping for a lot.

 

[WizardHawk]

Not sure I agree with that. The NHL actually seems open to expansion where as the NBA doesnt which makes sense. The only issues with that is getting the city's MOU changed to include the NHL and an ownership group.

The existing MOU will not be changed to accommodate a NHL only solution. That was actually written into the original contract and that group has said there is absolutely no chance that happens so you would need an entirely new group from the ground up to start all over. And good luck finding someone to put up the kind of money the city would want to even consider such a thing. And as I said above there is too much risk in an NHL only project, even just redoing the Key again, to ever get the city council on board. I'd put the odds of that happening at less than 10%

 

[seahawksfan234]

I'm not much of a basketball fan, but still would like to see the NBA come back simply for the city and the diehard NBA fans. Plus those games are always fun to go to.

 

[Seahawksgal]

The NBA's gone to hell. It's not even the refs and their biased play calling anymore. Now you have the players colluding with each other trying to put together these lame "super-teams". Even if we did get another team do you think we'd be able to draw in marque free agents to come to the Pacific NW? They want the lame glam bs, good weather, and a fan base that's willing to treat them like they're gods. I'd much rather see a hockey team. I used to be a huge basketball fan but Stern ran the league to the ground.

Never been a big basketball fan myself, but hockey...well that's another story. Love hockey. When I lived back in Annapolis, I used to go to a lot of Capital games. The company I worked for had a suite at the arena they played in, and if they weren't using it for clients, the employees got to use it for free. I used it a lot. My guy friends loved me for it.

 

[Mr. Tacoma]

The existing MOU with Hansen and his group requires an NBA franchise first and does not require the NHL, but is something they will work on after. The economic model requires both to sustain enough permanent revenue to keep the arena in enough profits to pay back the public funds. The NBA alone can provide enough income if they have enough concerts, conventions, and events, but the NHL cannot.

The only way you are getting the NHL here is for a different project to work on public funds to create a new facility. There are currently no arenas that are up to NHL standards. Even Key would need way too much renovations to accommodate a permanent ice system. You would also need a different ownership group to step forward for it.

Never say never, but it isn't likely you will find enough support in the city for an NHL only solution. It brings in less money and the NHL has had much more financial problems over the years. There is a lot of stability questions and in a city that found it hard to support even the sports that weren't in flux you are really hoping for a lot.

I see. I hadn't looked into the situation that closely.

It would be cool if Vulcan Sports & Entertainment started making moves to bring the NHL to Seattle. Has there ever been two professional sports teams in a city owned by the same guy?

 

[Destroydacre]

Post from the NHL board earlier today:

Sources say there have been negotiations between the league and potential ownership groups in Seattle about the cost of expansion fees. To the point where the NHL and local officials could be prepared to make some type of announcement shortly after the Olympic Games in Sochi conclude — at a time the NHL hopes nationwide interest in its sport will be at a high point.

NHL says Seattle would be a “good hockey market” | Hockey | The Seattle Times

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

I see. I hadn't looked into the situation that closely.

It would be cool if Vulcan Sports & Entertainment started making moves to bring the NHL to Seattle. Has there ever been two professional sports teams in a city owned by the same guy?

Ed Snyder owned the Flyers and the Sixers for a long time, then selling the Sixers a couple of years ago. The problem with an owner having two teams is the possibilities of one team suffering from lack of quality of ownership in favor of the other team. In this case Ed Snyder's baby are the Flyers and the Sixers suffered through many years of horrible basketball. I like the idea of having one owner for two teams as long as they are both equally run properly.