The sale of the Grizzlies to Bill and Nancy Laurie is
"off the agenda" for today's NBA Board of Governors
meetings, according to a "well-placed" source of Craig
Daniels of the TORONTO SUN. Daniels calls the move an
"unexpected development," which "has to be interpreted as a
blow" to the Lauries' "intention" of moving the franchise to
St. Louis. The source: "Apparently, there are still some
issues about the conditions of the sale the league wants
addressed" (TORONTO SUN, 10/29). But one NBA exec said of
the sale, "I assume it's going to go through. All the
owners really care about is what the price was, and it's a
pretty good price for the team" (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/29). In
Toronto, Chris Young: "After five weeks of staying mute on
the subject, it's time for [NBA Commissioner David] Stern to
come clean on Vancouver's future in the NBA." Maple Leaf
Sports & Entertainment President Richard Peddie, on the
Grizzlies: "I don't know what David [Stern] is going to do.
I'm sure that the whole question of a transfer (to St.
Louis) is going to come up" (TOR. STAR, 10/29). On ESPN.com,
David Aldridge wrote that "word is at least a couple of
owners are going to want assurances" from the Lauries that
they won't move the team "for at least five years to give
Vancouver a real chance to show support" (ESPN.com, 10/28).
RILEY UNDER THE BOARD: In Ft. Lauderdale, Cesar Brioso
reports that Heat President and coach Pat Riley is attending
the NBA Board of Governors meetings in N.Y. about his
"ownership stake" in the Heat, "which could rise to as much
as" 20% (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 10/29).
