Adam Silver Prefers Relocation Over Expansion

[Hornet Mania]

Silver (and the owners, obviously) just want to keep the threat of Seattle as leverage for all present and future arena negotiations. Didn't we get a report just a week or two ago that claimed the NBA was basically settled on Seattle/Las Vegas as expansion teams, and prospective ownership groups were being vetted? Seems to me that this relocation talk is just meant to reestablish relocation as a viable threat to municipalities the NBA wants to squeeze. If the Seattle/Vegas expansion talk becomes too real too fast cities will laugh off the relocation threats before the NBA can nail down their preferred arrangements. The best case scenario (from the NBA's perspective) is to keep expansion talk quiet until the last minute, and then spring it on us in 2018 or whatever with rock-solid info and a small group of owners already pre-approved.

Seattle should have a team, that historic franchise needs to be restored, but relocation is the wrong way to go about it. The NBA stole Seattle's team and now they're planning to use that same rabid fan base to coerce other cities into bending to whatever arena demands small-market ownership might have. It's like the mob breaking into your house, stealing all your stuff, and then coming to you the next day and offering you the opportunity to steal someone else's property to replace what you lost. As someone who also had their hometown team ripped away from them I have been adamantly opposed to relocation ever since. Stealing a franchise from one fan base to reward another is crap, anyone who is in favor of it should volunteer their own team or sit down.

[FrieAaron]

if they dont have the arena built by the deadline the nba could buy the team and sell it to seattle.

We know, but you guys aren't listening. There's going to be an arena.
Our team was bought on the cheap by two billionaires who added a third billionaire owner recently. Herb Kohl has already pledged 100 million of private money towards an arena with another 100 million pledged from Edens and Lasry. Part of the deal to buy the team was that if they didn't have an arena built the NBA would buy the team back from them for almost no profit. They have every incentive to get it done including if push comes to shove putting even more of their own money into it.

[ingvald]

BUCKS TO SEATTLE.

New ownership. Soon to have new arena. If it happens, it won't be for a while.

if they dont have the arena built by the deadline the nba could buy the team and sell it to seattle.

So even though the Bucks owners have publicly stated they are committed to stay in Milwaukee and will announce the new arena location in the next month, you think the NBA is going to force them to relocate? If they start construction on a new arena and its only 95% completed by October 2017, you think that the NBA will force a sale and relocate to Seattle because the paint isn't dry and the phones aren't plugged in? If Seattle fans want to pin their hopes on that scenario, go right ahead. But the chances of that happening are somewhere between slim and none.

[jnfviet]

New ownership. Soon to have new arena. If it happens, it won't be for a while.

if they dont have the arena built by the deadline the nba could buy the team and sell it to seattle.

So even though the Bucks owners have publicly stated they are committed to stay in Milwaukee and will announce the new arena location in the next month, you think the NBA is going to force them to relocate? If they start construction on a new arena and its only 95% completed by October 2017, you think that the NBA will force a sale and relocate to Seattle because the paint isn't dry and the phones aren't plugged in? If Seattle fans want to pin their hopes on that scenario, go right ahead. But the chances of that happening are somewhere between slim and none.

yup they found a location but haven't started building it, they have until November 2017 to finish building a stadium. good luck. plus they don't even have enough money they want taxpayers to chip in.

[ingvald]

yup they found a location but haven't started building it. they have until November 2017 to finish building a stadium. good luck.

You honestly think that if a new arena is under construction but not finished by fall 2017 the NBA would force a sale of the Bucks and relocate it to Seattle?

[Dobber-16]

Let's end the gibberish right now. The Bucks aren't going anywhere, the new arena will be built in time.

[ingvald]

yup they found a location but haven't started building it, they have until November 2017 to finish building a stadium. good luck. plus they don't even have enough money they want taxpayers to chip in.

NOT TRUE

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1351693

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/ne ... twt&page=2
Lasry: Arena site location to be announced in the next 30 to 60 days

The Milwaukee Bucks new owners will announce their choice for a new-arena location in the next 30 to 60 days and co-owner Marc Lasry said he believes NBA officials would be flexible on the 2017 arena deadline.
The statements by Lasry, who took questions at a press conference on the Bucks moving their offices to Schlitz Park, didn't exactly break new ground. He also said the ownership group is considering two or three potential arena sites but declined to identify the sites other than to say they are in Milwaukee.
In response to a reporter's question, Lasry first said of the arena site selection: "Hopefully we'll be able to announce it over the course of the next 30 days ... We'll be announcing it pretty soon."

"I have a good idea where the new arena is going to be built," Lasry said.
The Milwaukee Business Journal has written about seven downtown Milwaukee sites that have been in the running.
The Bucks organization is working with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's office "to build a world-class arena," Lasry said.

When asked about speculation that the Bucks could relocate to another city — possibly Seattle — if an arena is not built here, Lasry said an arena will be built in Milwaukee.
"It's absolutely a commitment from us to stay here," Lasry said. "This is the only place we want to be."

The Bucks plan to relocate their offices from the Milwaukee Theatre to Schlitz Park in January 2015. The Bucks offices will be on the sixth floor — the top floor — of the Schlitz Park Bottle House, which is the same building as the Brown Bottle pub and restaurant.

[ceremony816]

For the love of Narnia, bring my city a team please.

[LakersDynasty14]

Bucks seem like the logical choice, if only because they don't really seem to have very much of a fan base. I live in LA, but I still see people wearing Bulls, Thunder, Heat, Celtics, even Wolves and Grizzlies jerseys out here, or are fans of other teams, but I've never met anybody in my entire life who was a fan of Milwaukee.

Also, isn't Milwaukee basically just an extension of the Chicagoland market the same way San Diego or Santa Barbara could be considered extensions of the Los Angeles market?

[HaroldinGMinor]

Bucks seem like the logical choice, if only because they don't really seem to have very much of a fan base. I live in LA, but I still see people wearing Bulls, Thunder, Heat, Celtics, even Wolves and Grizzlies jerseys out here, or are fans of other teams, but I've never met anybody in my entire life who was a fan of Milwaukee.

Also, isn't Milwaukee basically just an extension of the Chicagoland market the same way San Diego or Santa Barbara could be considered extensions of the Los Angeles market?

Bucks were horribly marketed under Kohl. He ran it like a family business not unlike his buddy Selig ran the Brewers. It got too big for him to manage. He should have sold years ago. The Brewers turned around their brand in just a few seasons when they were bought by a billionaire from out of state. Same looks to be happening with the Bucks.


And no, Milwaukee is not an extension of the Chicago market.

[mcfromage]

Bucks seem like the logical choice, if only because they don't really seem to have very much of a fan base. I live in LA, but I still see people wearing Bulls, Thunder, Heat, Celtics, even Wolves and Grizzlies jerseys out here, or are fans of other teams, but I've never met anybody in my entire life who was a fan of Milwaukee.

Also, isn't Milwaukee basically just an extension of the Chicagoland market the same way San Diego or Santa Barbara could be considered extensions of the Los Angeles market?

I live in L.A. too and I'm rocking my Bucks gear all day.

Milwaukee is much bigger then Santa Barbara (approximately 6x in terms of population). It's more like Milwaukee is to Chicago what San Diego is to L.A.

[Supersonics41]

Bucks seem like the logical choice, if only because they don't really seem to have very much of a fan base. I live in LA, but I still see people wearing Bulls, Thunder, Heat, Celtics, even Wolves and Grizzlies jerseys out here, or are fans of other teams, but I've never met anybody in my entire life who was a fan of Milwaukee.

Also, isn't Milwaukee basically just an extension of the Chicagoland market the same way San Diego or Santa Barbara could be considered extensions of the Los Angeles market?

Bucks were horribly marketed under Kohl. He ran it like a family business not unlike his buddy Selig ran the Brewers. It got too big for him to manage. He should have sold years ago. The Brewers turned around their brand in just a few seasons when they were bought by a billionaire from out of state. Same looks to be happening with the Bucks.


And no, Milwaukee is not an extension of the Chicago market.

Milwaukee stole our original baseball team (The Pilots). Give Seattle the Bucks & we'll call it even!

[LakersDynasty14]

Bucks seem like the logical choice, if only because they don't really seem to have very much of a fan base. I live in LA, but I still see people wearing Bulls, Thunder, Heat, Celtics, even Wolves and Grizzlies jerseys out here, or are fans of other teams, but I've never met anybody in my entire life who was a fan of Milwaukee.

Also, isn't Milwaukee basically just an extension of the Chicagoland market the same way San Diego or Santa Barbara could be considered extensions of the Los Angeles market?

I live in L.A. too and I'm rocking my Bucks gear all day.

Milwaukee is much bigger then Santa Barbara (approximately 6x in terms of population). It's more like Milwaukee is to Chicago what San Diego is to L.A.

Gotcha, thanks.

[Effigy]

Silver is just trying to protect the league from embarrassment of letting a couple expansion teams in and watching them dominate the Sixers.

[FrieAaron]

Going by current attendance without looking at history is incredibly shortsighted. If the Bucks become a good team again their attendance will skyrocket. They were good for half a season a few years ago before Bogut went down and the Bradley center was very loud and packed when the playoffs came. The city will absolutely support a worthy product.

The year after they made it to the ECF with the big three, the Bucks were 12th in the league in attendance.

[HaroldinGMinor]

Bucks seem like the logical choice, if only because they don't really seem to have very much of a fan base. I live in LA, but I still see people wearing Bulls, Thunder, Heat, Celtics, even Wolves and Grizzlies jerseys out here, or are fans of other teams, but I've never met anybody in my entire life who was a fan of Milwaukee.

Also, isn't Milwaukee basically just an extension of the Chicagoland market the same way San Diego or Santa Barbara could be considered extensions of the Los Angeles market?

Bucks were horribly marketed under Kohl. He ran it like a family business not unlike his buddy Selig ran the Brewers. It got too big for him to manage. He should have sold years ago. The Brewers turned around their brand in just a few seasons when they were bought by a billionaire from out of state. Same looks to be happening with the Bucks.


And no, Milwaukee is not an extension of the Chicago market.

Milwaukee stole our original baseball team (The Pilots). Give Seattle the Bucks & we'll call it even!

Ironically, one of the reasons they left was because they couldn't get a stadium deal done in time

[RebuildaBulls]

Bucks seem like the logical choice, if only because they don't really seem to have very much of a fan base. I live in LA, but I still see people wearing Bulls, Thunder, Heat, Celtics, even Wolves and Grizzlies jerseys out here, or are fans of other teams, but I've never met anybody in my entire life who was a fan of Milwaukee.

Also, isn't Milwaukee basically just an extension of the Chicagoland market the same way San Diego or Santa Barbara could be considered extensions of the Los Angeles market?

Well Bucks hit the jackpot with Jabari because Chicagoan's follow their own, like myself, im watching the Bucks and Pelicans this season along with the Bulls. Jabari's been marketing to chicago like crazy

[Bernman]

Milwaukee stole our original baseball team (The Pilots). Give Seattle the Bucks & we'll call it even!

It was even when we gave you a hall of famer for free.

[Grolgar]

Thunder will move back when KD and Westbrook leave and they have no fans.

Cool story, bro. Not going anywhere. Cities with one major professional franchise have a great history of success. The Thunder will do better than a lot of cities because it is the only show in town (save college football and basketball).

I hope Seattle gets a team. I don't like that OKC got a team at the expense of Seattle.

[reignfire]

Atlanta has probably the worst fan base in the NBA.

They don't even have an online presence. At least the Bucks have some presence.

There's no online discussion whatsoever about the Hawks. Turrible.