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The city of Seattle will be paid $45 million in exchange for letting the Seattle SuperSonics move to Oklahoma City this year as part of last-minute settlement announced this afternoon.
Sonics owner Clay Bennett would have to pay the city an additional $30 million in five years if the city is unable to secure another NBA team, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said.
Nickels said the NBA agreed that a renovated Key Arena would be suitable to support a new team. However, the mayor said the state Legislature must pass a funding bill next year to help pay for a renovation.
The NBA pledged to notify the city if any teams become available, but Nickels said there are "no promises."
The news comes just hours before federal judge Marsha Pechman was to issue her ruling in the lawsuit between the city and the Sonics over the KeyArena lease. Pechman left it to the parties to disclose the terms.
"We made it. Congratulations," said Bennett at a press conference in Oklahoma City.
"The NBA will be in Oklahoma City next season, playing their games. "We were organized, we were prepared, we worked hard," Bennett said, adding "Of course the Schultz lawsuit is out there. We believe it is baseless and has no merit and we will fight it vigorously."
"The transition and move of the operation of this team begins tomorrow morning."
Seattle Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis and City Attorney Tom Carr briefed City Council members today.
Asked earlier today whether a settlement was forthcoming, Seattle City Councilmember Jean Godden said: "It looks like it, but I'm afraid what little I know is sworn to secrecy until after the mayor's news conference."
The City Council would have to approve any settlement.
A City Hall source said officials believe the deal is likely to be approved.
The city in February rejected a settlement offer of $26.5 million from Bennett, who wants to move the team to Oklahoma City.
Ceis would not comment today.
The city and Sonics last week concluded a six-day federal trial over whether the team would be forced to play out the final two seasons of the lease at KeyArena.
Brian Robinson and Steven Pyeatt, Save Our Sonics co-founders, are meeting with Ceis and Carr at 4 p.m., and then will attend the mayor's news conference. Pyeatt said he wasn't clued in on details yet.
Pyeatt said: "If it's strictly a cash settlement, we will stand by what we've been saying and let them know that money isn't good enough. Only the continuance of Sonics basketball is good enough."
Former Sonics owner and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz will not drop his lawsuit against Bennett as part of the settlement, said two sources familiar with the deal.
Schultz' suit alleges that Bennett broke a promise to try to keep the Sonics in Seattle.
Schultz wants a court to transfer the Sonics to local ownership.
Seattle 搬去 Oklahoma City
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