Could tribe save the Sonics?

Sonics owner Clay Bennett says he's "out of ideas." Fortunately, that's a state of being completely foreign to Bob Santos.

The 73-year-old has spent a lifetime plotting the future of Seattle's International District. Now retired, with "nothing much to do," Santos was driving to Auburn one day when he had a new inspiration. "I was going by the Emerald Downs horse track, with those huge parking lots and all that unused land," Santos recalls. "And I thought: 'Why not here?' "

As it happens, Santos was headed to watch a football game with some friends in the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. The same tribe that owns about 200 acres under and around Emerald Downs.

Santos pitched his idea to the tribe: Why not build a new arena for the Sonics? The tribe has the land. It has a casino full of money. It runs a summer-concert venue, the White River amphitheater, and could use that operation to book concerts for an arena in the winter.

Muckleshoot leaders such as John Daniels Jr. don't get excited much, Santos says. Or if they do, you'd never know it.

"But his eyes lit up at the thought of the tribe saving the Sonics. They've become very energized about it."

Last week, the tribal council asked its staff to pursue the idea, including putting together a financing plan that would likely propose a sharing of costs among the Sonics, the tribe and the state.

It's far from a done deal. The tribe's chairwoman, Charlotte Williams, confirmed the tribe is interested but cautioned, "The matter has not progressed to the point where any serious discussions have taken place."

Still, it means a wealthy private investor is considering paying big money to help solve the Sonics' dilemma.

It's no ordinary investor. This tribe gets things done. Recently it built the $30 million amphitheater, a tribal college and a $19 million health clinic. It also bought back 1,800 acres of land on the reservation.

"The Muckleshoots are good at everything they do," says Ron Crockett, who runs the Emerald Downs track. "They are fast, they are professional. They don't mess around. If anyone can build this arena, it'd be them."

Basketball is huge in Indian country, and tribes increasingly are seeking to get involved with pro teams. The Mohegan Tribe owns the Connecticut Sun, a women's pro team in the WNBA with the Seattle Storm. The Sun play next to the tribe's casino. In 2005, the Yakama Nation bought a minor-league team, the Sun Kings.

And yet, since meeting with the Muckleshoots in February, and saying he wanted to visit the Emerald Downs site before talking further, Bennett has not done much, Santos says.

"He hasn't made it out to Emerald Downs," Santos says.

Odd, since he sure found the time to visit Kansas City.

"He keeps saying publicly there's no private money interest here. Well, he's wrong about that. And he knows it.

"The way this is coming together with the Muckleshoots, I don't see how the NBA could let him move the team out of the Seattle area. It's too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Yes it is. Your move, Mr. Bennett.

Danny Westneat's column appears Wednesday and Sunday. Reach him at 206-464-2086 or dwestneat@seattletimes.com.