Dallas, TX

Seattle's dream of having another NBA team was dashed after NBA team owners voted to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

According to sources, team owners voted 22-8 to reject the Kings' proposed move to Seattle as recommended earlier by a relocation committee.

Commissioner David Stern said the vote effectively ended the bid of a Seattle group led by investor Chris Hansen to buy the Kings from the Maloofs.

Stern also expressed confidence that the Maloofs will reach an agreement to sell the team to a consortium headed by Silicon Valley billionaire Vivek Ranadive.

"It is my expectation that we'll be able to make a deal with the Maloofs and the Ranadive group. ... It's not a certainty, but we're going to work [toward] that result," said Stern.

This was the second time that the Maloofs have tried to relocate the Kings. They first targeted Anaheim, California but Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson convinced the NBA to give the city another chance to finance a new arena.

Seattle lost the SuperSonics following the 2008 season when they moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.

Seattle mayor Mike McGinn expressed disappointment over the development but remained confident that Hansen will deliver on his promise to give the city another NBA team.

"The memorandum of understanding we have with Chris Hansen is for five years, and we will continue working to bring the NBA back to Seattle," McGinn said.

 

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