Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said that a meeting this week with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver "has him doubting" that the city "can land a team within the next few years," according to Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. That feeling has Murray worried that "no team will arrive before the November 2017 expiration of a Sodo arena funding agreement" between the city, King County and hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen. A memorandum of understanding between them "states an NBA team must be acquired" for Hansen to receive up to $200M in "city and county bond funding for the proposed venue." Murray: "They actually expressed to me that they felt expectations in Seattle had been raised that weren’t consistent with what they had been sharing about a path to get there within the next few years." Murray, who also met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in N.Y., had "arranged the NBA meeting several weeks ago." He had "never met Silver and wanted to hear where the league stood before gauging the impact on the Sodo District arena process." Murray: "I actually have to say that brought clarity to the process for me. I had the impression that maybe the whole expansion and/or other teams (relocating) might be sooner and more of a possibility." Murray had believed the Bucks "might be a relocation candidate if the franchise can’t get a new arena deal worked out this year." But he said that Silver and others "quickly shot that down." Murray: "They were very clear that they see them staying. ... They certainly did not see movement as far as new franchises" (SEATTLE TIMES, 1/23).
COULD HOCKEY SLIDE TO THE FRONT? KING-NBC's Chris Daniels asked wondered if Murray would "support legislation that would alter the MOU for an NHL-first scenario." Murray said, "We would have to see a potential financial model proposition penciled out." He noted that "nothing had been submitted to his office." Daniels noted it is "not the first time Murray has met with Bettman." The commissioner, along with Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and Hudson Pacific Properties President, CEO & Chair Victor Coleman, an interested owner, "flew to Seattle last year and met with Murray privately at City Hall" (KING5.com, 1/22).
