Originally published May 30, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified May 30, 2007 at 3:16 PM
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Sonics and Storm owner Clay Bennett says he's "out of ideas" for landing an arena deal in Seattle and plans to file this November with the...
Seattle Times staff reporter
Sonics and Storm owner Clay Bennett says he's "out of ideas" for landing an arena deal in Seattle and plans to file this November with the NBA for permission to move the teams after next season.
In an interview published today by his hometown newspaper, The Oklahoman, Bennett said he'll continue to explore any arena ideas brought to him by Seattle leaders.
But Bennett told the newspaper he is "probably as pessimistic as I've ever been," and that he plans to file immediately for relocation if an Oct. 31 deadline passes without an arena deal in the Seattle area. Bennett said he's started "preliminary discussions" about moving the Sonics and Storm to Oklahoma City or Kansas City.
Bennett previously has said he expects the teams to play the 2007-08 season at KeyArena but that he might try to move the teams after that unless he gets a new arena.
Bennett leads a group of Oklahoma City investors who purchased the Sonics and Storm for $350 million last summer. At that time, Bennett promised to try to keep the teams in Seattle but imposed an Oct. 31 deadline for getting an arena deal.
The NBA requires teams to file by March 1 if they intend to relocate to another city for the following season.
If the Sonics and Storm do leave Seattle, Bennett said, "we're quite likely headed to Oklahoma City," but he said his ownership group needs to perform "due diligence" before making that decision.
But Bennett told The Oklahoman he is concerned about the long-term viability of Oklahoma City as an NBA market, citing a lack of broadcasting revenue.
Bennett has made increasingly bleak statements about the future of the Sonics and Storm in Seattle since the Legislature refused to back his proposal for taxpayer funding of a $500 million arena in Renton. He has floated Oklahoma City, Kansas City and Las Vegas as possible future homes for the teams.
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