It’s True, the Sonics are Moving
Posted on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007 at 10:32 am by Brian Robinson
OK, not moving to Oklahoma but at the minimum they are getting some new corporate digs at the Washington Mutual Tower downtown. The team announced today that they have sublet their Elliott Way space and will be moving corporate offices. The announced reasoning is simply a budgetary savings in the range of $400,000 per year. Seems obvious enough.
The conspiracy theorist in my starts to think that this move could help them with an additional move in the future. Their Elliot Ave lease reportedly expired Dec. 31, 2010 coinciding with their Key Arena lease after the 2010/2011 season. I ask myself, if they were able to sublet that lease, and sign a new lease which contains options out in each of the coming years wouldn’t it make it that much simpler for them to move out. Reportedly the new lease has the same expiration date as thier existing one, however minor details such as options out are not disclosed. If they were preparing to move the team getting those option amounts and dates settled would simply be one more item on the laundry list of preparation.
Talking to an industry leading commercial real estate broker today I’m told that the Seattle office market is so hot that options out are likely not even an issue. For either building the rental rate a year from now will likely be so much higher that the team would not have any trouble re-renting the space should they choose to move. That same agent however admits that the WAMU Tower location has significantly broader appeal and may be more easily sublet should they choose. Additionally they may have gotten some longer term options on the lease which make subletting much easier. The owner of the Elliott Bay facility is a known Sonics fan and could have created some problems for them.
I am going to go out on a limb and say that it is 50/50 that their decision to make this change is directly related to the fact that they want to increase their options to move. The fact that they chose to release this decision on draft lottery day, when they know almost all discussion will relate to the teams lottery position and the move will be only a footnote in tomorrows coverage seals the deal for me. This is a move towards a move and I hope people are paying attention.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:11 pm
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/117298.html
Clay was in KC yesterday.
Sounds like he will be asking for a public vote. But why talk about it in public in another city before you do in Seattle? He opposed it for a long time then relented after it was too late and now wants it. Could be give me want I want as is or I have a clear no to ask to leave. My guess is the King County politicians will decline to jump and set up a special election for him on his timeline and on his terms. Sorry Clay. The silence is you not proposing anything realistic and detailed since legisltive defeat for a half-baked proposal. There are plenty of angles to maybe have a better shot. Until you do, you are the one who doesnt fundamentally have any new ideas.
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Another commentary on KC article and overall situation
http://www.supersonicsoul.com/
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:48 pm
From the article:
What bothered Bennett the most was the lack of response by the community when the legislative leaders declined to act on the proposal.
“No hue and cry, no letters to the editor, nothing by the media or talk on the call-in shows, or no new ideas on how to get it done,” Bennett said. “No private ideas on the table.”
Obviously, Bennett feels he’s done his part and is now just waiting out Oct 31st.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:26 pm
This KC news has killed what little interest I still had in the draft lottery. This crap is done folks. #@$%!
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I think he’s creating a very serious case for breach of contract. The guy has done nothing to build fan relations in this town, admits that he inherited a screwed up organization but then has done nothing to rectify it, and then acts like he is suprised when there is little love for his disfunctional organization.
Count me as off the bandwagon. He had his grace period but these comments bother me after the guy’s contribution to Seattle basketball has been a complete and 100% zero. Nothing first class about this organization in my book…
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I had thought Stern had laid down the law to Bennett about best effort Seattle focus. And halfthought the Sonics silence was Stern ordered. What will Stern say with his semi-flirting with Kansas City? I dont think I can tell what to make of Bennett’s comments or Stern’s rections without knowing what they say to each other in private.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Bennett is in way over his head.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:48 pm
I think Stern wants the Sonics out of here. Just my opinion, but Stern seems like quite the jilted lover when it comes to Seattle. He’s acting almost vengeful at times. Which leads to him giving Bennett all the support and slack he needs to move to KC (who will bend over backwards btw for pro basketball).
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Should it be save Sonics & Storm from Bennett’s strategy and mistakes or save Sonics from Bennett’s intentions? It is still the classic game of chicken but it seems to be becoming the later.
May 22nd, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Stern’s reaction to this will be something to watch but actor that he is I wont necessarily take it at face value.
KC is being used but it is only 90 minutes or so by helicopter from OKC for Bennett and he might create a super regional tv market and they might offer a short-moderate term lease, so when OKC grows up further and get a better arena…Maybe he could even get 6-8 games in OKC. KC with an arena and no occupant will probably negotiate friendly.
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:03 pm
This is breach of contract. And only Sabey has the horses to challenge him on it due to his position as a former shareholder, since Schultz and Wally are AWOL. I don’t know whether this will help City Of Seattle hold to a harder line are just merely jack up the buyout price, so I’m not sending Della et al any info.
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:13 pm
When Bennett next shows up in the region will it be the giving the ultimatum? Will that be the last appearance period (followed by a move, sooner or after up to a 36 month silence) or the last appearance under the failed policy and then a change of course? He wants end-game? “It really is” This early stuff is over.
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:21 pm
I’m in agreement with TK and Brian for the most part, but don’t you think it’s possible he’s using Kansas City as leverage to try and get what he really wants out of Seattle? Owners have certainly done it before.
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I take no pleasure in saying Brian, you’ve finally seen the light about this ownership group. I’ve been on the negative side since day one and my intuition about Clay Bennett, sorry to say, is starting to prove correct.
He’s a prostitute. He will move his team to wherever coughs up the best price. History of the Sonics, the area, mean absolutely nothing. He cares zero for the people of Washington State. He’s Michael Heisley in a different suit. I’ve been through it before with my Grizzlies.
To think how much SOS bent over backwards to try and help keep the team in Seattle, and all the e-mails and rallys. And for this Bennett claims he’s upset the most at the lack of response from the community? I guess he used the hard working, loyal people running sonicscentral and acknowledges nothing.
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:04 pm
I was posting the KC article on HeyKid’s site and something stood out that I didn’t notice earlier:
The Sonics’ lease (as well as the WNBA’s Seattle Storm) at outdated Key Arena, the second-smallest facility in the NBA, does not expire until 2010, but the franchise could opt out for $75 million after the 2007-08 season.
I have never heard this before. Anyone know where this number came from and if there’s anything to it?
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:09 pm
I agree with Steve that he is still in a throwing gasoline on the fire way trying to influence this region. When all efforts cease it is a new phase. It is a long way from over and he could cutback at some point but seems like he has fewer blockers and more folks ready to drill him.
SOS largely supported Bennett’s first round. Folks may have disagree about terms of a good enough deal but I respect the effort and intentions. It has a goal that is shared even more widely. If anything works they will have played an important role keeping that window open. SOS has shown some caution, careful observation and maintains its ultimate independence. They can read and react to the play / decide what to do from here like everybody else.
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Dick I believe $75 million is the estimated sum of buying out the lease (though it is not clear that simply paying the rent due for 3 years is enough as Seattle talks about seeking damages) and the NBA move fee (if they agree to let you). I believe Frank has used that sum of the parts in print and others may have too. But it is not a simple pay that fee and your out term in the lease.
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:26 pm
For argument sake, what if Bennett is found in breach of his good faith effort stipulation? Is he assessed a monetary penalty? By old ownership group or NBA? Does the old ownership have the option to reversal the sale? Or does lack of good faith efforts automatically cancel sale? Who decides? Did anyone ever see the details of that letter?
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:33 pm
The KC stuff seems like simply an attempt at leverage to me.
Can’t Seattle simply refuse to negotiate a buyout of the lease, and sue ‘em for huge damages if they do try to leave? Which in turn would leave Bennett et al a choice…bleed slowly for the next 3 yrs, or take it in the shorts now (or next spring).
(Of course, this would require city leadership having a collective spine…)
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:47 pm
The city has A LOT of leverage power in forcing Bennett’s hand into staying, whether a sky high penalty assessment or better yet, a federal injunction. Their incentive might be to take the buyout to make the whole situation go away faster, since a local ownership group may mean more bad pub for them.
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I wish there was some way that someone could crunch the numbers and work out an arena deal that would make the team profitable.(but just barely) Without giving Bennett all the extras and crap that he is demanding. Just enough to make the team stay here but not enough to make Bennett happy.
May 22nd, 2007 at 4:59 pm
DK - Don’t misinterpret. To date I haven’t seen any evidence that Clays intentions have been bad. It has been his execution that has been terrible and that is why I’m growing increasingly frustrated. We’ve pushed both cooperatively and much more adversarially/aggressively than has been reported to get him to change his ways and judge the results AFTER he engages the community. If he does not give it a go and continues to make these comments then I think breach of faith has really occured. I’m not sure he came in here looking to move, but he certainly has given up too easy and after an effort that was frankly lame.
I’ll tell you that I used the words “impotent and irrelevant” once in a letter to him to describe their PR campaign. Nothing has changed.
As for his commentary on the public outcry I am telling all of “my people” to not be personally offended. The fact is that a small group of us had to work 10x harder than we should have because the rank and file of the community, the media, business leaders, etc have not stepped up. I try not to get personal on these things and don’t take personal offence. Our effort has been commendable and I appreciate the kind words, but it doesn’t make the overall apathy that he is referring to any less real. If he didn’t say it at some point I would, where have all the sports fans been? Why is it that out of 12,000 people attending a Sonics game we can garner only $17 in donations on a game day? Why is it that I get nearly 3000 seperate site visits a day to this site but SOS can’t get 15 people to attend an event or 100 to send letters. It’s frustrating.
Not to cast stones but frankly I think anybody who is upset by his comments needs to ask what they have done, what their friends have done, and what the community at large has done.
This battle is just heating up. It’s getting interesting again and there are many chapters ahead. Here’s hoping that in 40 minutes or so we see a miracle.
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Whoa, Jeff Van Gundy is doing commentary on tonight’s game. Didn’t he just get fired like on Monday??
Thats finding a job fast.
Go Lottery.
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:45 pm
He had a job Friday!! Crazy…
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:47 pm
“And Seattle deserves a break because it’s a good basketball city that’s being held hostage by some latte-drinking billionaire dipwad who sold the team to the ultra-conservative Oklahoma hick with no soul. ”
-Bill Simmons.
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:49 pm
KJR!!!! You have to be kidding me with your draft lottery coverage. OMG
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:50 pm
KJR sucks ass and is about as anti-sonics as is frank chopp.
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:50 pm
alksdjflaksjdfl’asd
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:51 pm
top 3 baby.
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:51 pm
top 3!!! top 3 top 3 oh my f’n god
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:51 pm
top 3!!! top 3 top 3 oh my f’n god
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:52 pm
god not 3. just not 3
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:52 pm
whooooooaaaaaaaaaaaa. OMG
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:52 pm
That was sweet seeing the Celtics taking it in the ARse after tanking and and Ainge Shmoozing with Durants relatives.
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:53 pm
WHOOOOOOOO
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Arena deal that moved past one hurdle and now just one step from success (a vote in July): Orlando Magic to contribute $145.6 million of $480 million cost.
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:54 pm
I LOVE KEVIN
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:54 pm
KEVIN DURANT BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:55 pm
DURANT WELCOME TO SEATTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:55 pm
durant is on his way to seattle
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:56 pm
OMFG
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:56 pm
back to Portland though….NOT FAIR!!! they get top picks like every year
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Straight from Austin to Seattle!!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:57 pm
$480 million bond cost + all the interest to be paid from taxes (only about half on tourists)
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Well Tate, we shall see if Rashard and Durant can coexist or not eh?
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:58 pm
I’m pretty excited. Either way, we’re going to get a great player. Oden or Durant, thank the Lord!!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Joe:
wouldn’t a Luke/Ray/Rashard/Kevin/Nick line up sounds good? if not, Luke/Ray/Rashard/Chris/Greg
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Portland goes into next season with Oden/Roy/Randolph/Aldridge core? Not to mention Outlaw possibly coming back. Jarrett Jack. Portland has a bright future.
DURANT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven’t been this happy in a while.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Oh my my.
How the tables have turned!!
Does this keep us here??
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:07 pm
After figuring out who we should pick, Durant will give us more flexibility and improvement because he will be affective very quickly in the league and gives us more options if Lewis leaves. This is really good news for our team because the coaching and management professionals out there would look more forward to join the team.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:07 pm
I’m telling you this could keep us here. Would it surprise anyone if there are a ton of season ticket sales in the near future?
Durant/Oden are good enough to energize this city.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:11 pm
holy #*%$ !!!
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I think Portland will be trying to shop Zach RAndolph. Aldridge played great at the 4 at the end of the season and won’t be needed as a starter at the 5. They could trade him for vet help since they will be/are the youngest team in the NBA.
Beavk, the possibilities are endless. I think Rashard can play the 4 easily offensively, defensively is his problem. Durant and Rashard have very similar body types, and I think Durant may be a better talent by the time he is Rashards age. He can probably already do 90 % of what Rashard can do. He is only like 19 years old.
Go supes.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:17 pm
I’d again like to give an FU to the listen live KJR feed. They cut the draft lottery off at #14 and went to commercials. SWEET.
Other than that…..its been a great great day.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Historically speaking, this will be seattles most important draft ever. This ties for the highest draft pick ever, and the last time we drafted # 2, we got a hall of famer. Now, we have the same draft number, but we are facing a potential move/ownership crisis. This pick is huge, and I thank the powers that be for putting us in the position to make a huge step forward in spite of the obstacles.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:20 pm
thank you basketball gods.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Ridnour/Ray/Shard/Durant/Wilcox
Run run run like PHX?
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Anyway you shake it, getting the 2nd pick and potentially Durant is huge. It doesn’t necessarily keep us in town, but, it helps us a ton…
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Dammit, no if Lenny f***s this up and gets us a crappy coach and GM I’m gonna be pissed.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:27 pm
At least I won’t have to hear any more talk about YiJianlin or whatever his name is.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Earlier today I said that I move Carlisle to my number one coaching choice. I might change my mind with the thought of Shard, Ray, Luke and Durant running like Phoenix. In that case Ivaroni looks good. We don’t have a Nash but we would have more flexibility in playing a standard line up. Ivaroni coached with Riley too I think. So, he has coached with different styles.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:46 pm
I hear what your saying Malaman, but I’ve always felt that if you get a good coach, he can coach, regardless of some of the nuance of roster. Take Pat Riley for example. It was all showtime in LA, then he goes to NY and its all defense, then Miami and it’s a little bit of both. Always successful.
One thing is for sure, Paul Silas would not be a good choice for us. He repeatedly berrated Lebron in his rookie year and while having a winning record, he apparently alienated his star player. Silas is a coach for a veteran team, not a young one from my perspective.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:48 pm
NBA draft.net has it’s site updated with us at #2 taking Durant!
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:49 pm
“Ridnour/Ray/Shard/Durant/Wilcox
Run run run like PHX? ”
Except that lineup truly would get destroyed on defense, and there probably wouldn’t be enough shots to go around on offense.
Scott and I were talking about this a bit ago, if Utah loses to the Spurs a possible S&T Shard for AK47 becomes very interesting. Scott’s rationale was AK is basically a true PF playing with Boozer and Shard would be a true SF playing with Durant… If you think about it a frontline of Durant, Kirilenko and Swift would have serious shotblocking out the ass … get a bigger combo guard to put next to Allen and that’s one tough team.
May 22nd, 2007 at 6:55 pm
NBA teams are a business but also a very rich man’s toy. This team is now more attractive with the #2 pick. This team probably worth $25-50 million more than a few hours ago. Maybe Bennett will relax a bit about the financial numbers.
May 22nd, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Year 1 I doubt they would go Durant at 4 more than 10 minutes a game. But time will tell whether he fits there.
5 minutes of Rashard at 2, you probably could get 15 minutes for Durant at 3 for 25 total.
May 22nd, 2007 at 7:07 pm
The contracts for AK and Shard would not match for a sign and trade. We would have to add antoher piece.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:31 pm
“Except that lineup truly would get destroyed on defense, and there probably wouldn’t be enough shots to go around on offense.”
Last time I checked PHX was one game away from the Western Conference finals and won 61 games this year. Plus the Sonics don’t have defensive personel. Maybe its time to play to our strengths.
May 22nd, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Sorry Brian if I misinterpreted your thoughts. It’s just that I’ve seen this show before here in Vancouver and from my vantage point I just don’t think Bennett gives a hoot about anyone but his closest circle of cronies. Maybe I’m stereotyping him as just another stuffed suit using whatever, and whoever he can to further his personal gains.
But being a little disjointed from the fans who live in the Seattle area, I see how being so loyal to the Sonics has made people give up alot of their personal lives in order to try and protect something that they feel an ownership with, and have for far longer than Clay Bennett has been in the picture. The Sonics are held closer to their hearts than the team ever will be to Clay Bennett.Yet he continues to show the classic denial of sour grapes and blames everyone but himself for the situation the Sonics are in.
I highly doubt it would happen because I personally don’t think he has it in him, but some day he has to realize that the picture involves alot more than just an investment for him and his group. Joe and Mary sixpack may not jump to his defense to convince politicians to do whatever they can to help out the team, but they none the less have been keenly loyal fans since the seventies and beyond. It’s just that in this day and age priorities of paying the bills and survivng the daily grind take precidence over going out on a limb to cry out about a pro sports enterprise owned and run by billionaires. For him to say he’s angry about no outcry within the community shows a callous attitude in my opinion. Obviously it’s been a while since he’s been down from his tower to mingle with the “little people”.
I hope I don’t sound like those totally biased pricks that have been 100% against helping to keep the team by looking for a tax measure to help. For sure they couldn’t care less about the Sonics. But the fact remains that in my eye Clay Bennett is more focussed on his new toy and how to generate money from it than he is dedicated to help preserve and acknowledge the legacy of the Seattle Supersonics and how they are an interwoven fabric of the Puget Sound.
I’ll say it again. He’s a prostitute that is looking for someone else to pay for the service he’s offering. Instead he needs to watch the movie fields of dreams and take to heart the slogan “build it and they will come”. Then people will pay their hard earned dollars for the product he has to offer.
But I still feel that my hunch that relocation has been his hidden agenda unless he gets a sweetheart deal is a correct one. If he doesn’t get his sweetheart deal here, he’ll look for somewhere that will give it to him.
I”m going to lump Bennett and Michael Heisley together and say, “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”. They’re cut from the same cloth as far as I’m concerned.
May 23rd, 2007 at 6:18 am
I think the thing you have to see is that Heisley’s move has not worked out well. That team is bleeding money and has one of the lowest values in the league.
I’m rapidly growing bitter with Clay. The lack or outreach to the fans is appalling but I don’t condemn his comments on the local reaction because of my efforts. A big part of the reason my efforts were so hard was because of just what he’s describing.
Where I think the fans really, really stepped up is in attendance and passion at the games. This team stunk. The vibe was terrible, the distractions too numerous to count and yet the house had good crowds chearing hard all season. That has to count for something and I think he’s blowing those peoples efforts off more than my own.
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:16 am
That, DK, was an outstanding post.
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:45 pm
But the fact remains that in my eye Clay Bennett is more focussed on his new toy and how to generate money from it
It was a great day for Bennett, DK.
By drafting Durant, he can now legitimately let Lewis walk for nothing and save a bundle (cut his losses) during the Supes remaining time in Seattle. With a prime time up & comer, he also now has a much more appealing product when he tries to prostitute the Sonics around the country for the best sweetheart deal.
May 23rd, 2007 at 4:58 pm
If Bennett simply says he hopes for a special session and then a public vote but doesnt really lift a finger that will seem pretty hollow. If he makes a big play for it sticking with old idea & terms or new ones that is different. If he wants August vote he really only has a few weeks to make that case and have any chance of getting that path.