Staying Put: Sonics Not Filing Relocation Papers This Year
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Sonics Staying In Seattle For
At Least One More Season |
Sonics Owner Clay Bennett said that he has “no intention” of applying to relocate
the team before the NBA’s deadline of March 1, meaning the team “will remain in
Seattle, pending the outcome of a new arena,” according to John Rohde of the DAILY
OKLAHOMAN. Bennett said, “We intend to be successful in Washington. I still think
we’ve got a lot of life left in this deal.” He has said that he would move the
team, “possibly to Oklahoma City, if the arena project is not approved within
a self-imposed one-year deadline” that started October 31. Rohde reports since
the Hornets moved the majority of their home games to the Ford Center before the
’05-06 season, Oklahoma City “has gone from being an NBA outcast to perhaps the
league’s top destination for relocation.” The club has averaged 18,362 fans for
55 games at the Ford Center during the past two seasons. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick
Cornett said, “I think we’re going to get a team, and I suppose the two most likely
candidates are [the Hornets and Sonics]. ... We stay in touch with the NBA and
the people involved, but it’s all going to evolve beyond our ability to do much
about it. In neither market can we aggressively pursue a team because both have
existing leases.” The Hornets have a lease with New Orleans Arena through 2012,
while the Sonics have a deal with KeyArena through 2010 (DAILY
OKLAHOMAN, 2/23).
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