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Looks like Gorton would accept a buyout if the league's OK with handing us another franchise.

"While I'd still love to see the Sonics stay, I think that is highly unlikely," Gorton said in the wake of the 28-2 vote by NBA owners Friday to approve relocation of the franchise to Oklahoma City. "What we're trying to accomplish now, in my view, is to get another team in their place.

"That will, however, require the governor and Legislature to come up with a way for Seattle to pay its share of the KeyArena remodel."

"If a replacement team is part of the package, of course we'd talk," Gorton said. "My goal from the very beginning has been to have a team. Revenge, I'm not interested in as such. The city has a financial stake in all this. The mayor and I are in complete accord that what we want is a team."

"It isn't over until the fat lady sings, and at this point, there is the trial date and the city's lawsuit to enforce the terms of the KeyArena lease," Gorton said. "I think the goal of the entire community, and certainly my goal, is to see whether some time between now and then there's a way to come up with a situation in which the controversy over the Sonics is settled in some fashion that Seattle can look forward to another NBA franchise.

"I think it's a possible goal. But I don't think it's likely to happen unless we have a tangible and complete plan for the remodeling of KeyArena. If we'd had that in hand last week, in my view we'd either have kept the Sonics or gotten assurance of another team."

"If we have a remodeled KeyArena or the promise of one that meets their requirements, and I'm convinced this remodel does, then I think we have a chance for another team," he said. "But the chances diminish rapidly after the trial is over. This present lease gives us leverage, so we need to get it done promptly. We have to focus on getting a solution out of Olympia."

"I'm not willing to make that assumption, given their attitude toward us," Gorton said. "We need to have something they want. And what they want is to get the Sonics out of here by next season. It's clearly possible for the league to give us a guarantee. How difficult or how badly they want to, I don't know."

"All the league has to do to lead to an amicable settlement is see to it that we're assured of a new team," Gorton said. "Whatever David Stern said about me, my principle unhappiness is not directed at David Stern. At this point, we have not given him a plan with an arena adequate for the NBA in the 21st century. If we do and he doesn't respond, my attitude will be different. But at this point, we haven't given him that chance."

"We really need to understand that if we want an NBA team, we can't hold out hope that just because we're a better advertising market that somehow we'll be granted one," von Reichbauer said. "If the board of governors of the NFL can decide it doesn't need to be in Los Angeles, the NBA can make that decision about Seattle. It's important to figure out how to work with them, not against them. It's not about somebody's re-election. If you care about having a team, it's time to start working toward a solution."

Slade Gorton: Goal now is finding a replacement for Sonics

BTW: Here's Brian Robinson's take on this issue.
Interpreting Slade

I don't trust the league, and how can they guarantee a team?

As hard as it might be to sustain, I absolutely refuse to support another NBA team if the Sonics leave Seattle (unless that is, if they return or if Stern is no longer affiliated with the NBA).

^^ I have been thinking over the last few days about whether I would be able to support a new or relocated franchise in Seattle. The way we have been treated, I don't know if I have any passion for the NBA anymore. Is there any honor in winning the championship of a league run by a bunch of pigs?

In 2012, do I want to see David Stern hand the championship trophy to Steve Ballmer, knowing full well that the trophy is covered in the blood of many honest, hard working cities who have lost their teams to senseless NBA greed?

Is the championship nothing more than the title of court jester in King David's palace?

When I was a kid my dad took me to a number of Sonics games, the Globetrotters, and the all-star game in Seattle. My dad was always cynical, however, and I found myself defending the NBA against his attacks of the drug culture, laziness, officiating, superstar treatment, etc. I kept saying the league was getting better all the time.

Now I don't know. Maybe my dad was right. Maybe I don't pass this legacy onto my kids.

Do yourself a favor a grow-up

I'm totally done with the NBA forever if this Sonics team leaves Seattle.

There are only two paths forward that allow me to envision the Sonics staying...

1. The specific use lawsuit succeeds & the team stays two more years. Government officials put together a workable arena plan. A Seattle white knight buys another NBA team that's not succeeding. Stern brokers a team swap. Bennett takes his new team to Oklahoma City. The Sonics stay in Seattle.

2. Mr Coffee wins his lawsuit.

Ya, so when I think about it I'm pretty much done with NBA basketball & the Sonics forever. I try not to think about it.

RBNICE wrote:Do yourself a favor a grow-up. Oops, sorry. I'm such a jerk.

rbnice, do yourself a favor. Shut the hell up & get off this board.




Edit: Fixed.

So Gorton wants a Cleveland Browns type deal? That's a smart move, because there is no way that Seattle would accept a buyout unless they got a Cleveland Browns type deal from the NBA.

If the sonics stay I'll continue to follow them. Other than I'm done with the NBA in general either way.

For myself I could not get behind an expansion team the same way I follow the Sonics. It would simply be different.

I could care less about Stern and his "Scortched Earth" crap he is slinging. Maybe he should take a look in the mirror. Because he is essentially saying he is against himself. He's the one that is aiding in ripping this franchise out of it's roots.

I say make Bennett bleed.

Another thing I'm not boycotting the playoffs so to speak but I have a hard time getting into NBA games that don't have the Sonics in it. However I did watch the 4th quarter on of the Spurs and Suns game.

I would love to see the Sonics play two more years here in Seattle and after that if David wants the team gone "F'em".

If you don't care about fans who have supported this team for 41 years then you're a sack of ****. Then I'm not going to give a single cent to your product. 41 years of support should matter.

RBNICE wrote:Do yourself a favor a grow-up

Hey, you almost wrote a complete sentence! You're showing progress. Next time try using a verb. It really helps.

wiff wrote:For myself I could not get behind an expansion team the same way I follow the Sonics. It would simply be different.

I could care less about Stern and his "Scortched Earth" crap he is slinging. Maybe he should take a look in the mirror. Because he is essentially saying he is against himself. He's the one that is aiding in ripping this franchise out of it's roots.

I say make Bennett bleed.

Another thing I'm not boycotting the playoffs so to speak but I have a hard time getting into NBA games that don't have the Sonics in it. However I did watch the 4th quarter on of the Spurs and Suns game.

I would love to see the Sonics play two more years here in Seattle and after that if David wants the team gone "F'em".

If you don't care about fans who have supported this team for 41 years then you're a sack of ****. Then I'm not going to give a single cent to your product. 41 years of support should matter.

Exactly.

I think Slade Gorton is a smart man with an eye on the reality of the situation. Everyone knows I'm on side with assuring a team for Seattle, but like Gorton says, it has to be "guaranteed". Like Jenn said, promises are meaningless and David Stern can't be trusted. Only an ironclad agreement with a firm date is acceptable. Here's how I see it:

The ball is in Clay Bennet and the NBA's court. They want to settle, that's been established. So Stern tells Bennett to make first contact and see where the city is at. While Bennett gets his meeting he brings along a couple of lawyers, one of which will be reporting back to NBA headquarters. Bennett asks outright for a monetary settlement, where Gorton tells him absolutely no way. The lawyers then go on a bit of a fishing expedition and try to see how far the city is willing to bend.

With no success at all, which is expected, Bennett informs Stern of such and Stern sits down with the lawyers and tries to figure out what would be the least the league could offer. The next meeting before the trial includes the league heavyweights, complete with Stern himself. Stern comes right out and asks what it would take to settle this. Gorton tells him nothing short of a guaranteed agreement that a replacement team will be in place in two years, provided they can get local ownership and a remodelled arena. Stern then attempts to do what many negotiators do, which is try to get the other side angry to see if anything might slip out that they didn't want to say up front. Stern will say all kinds of negative things. Gorton holds firm and says sorry to see that you've wasted your, and our time.

On the way out Stern says we'll be in touch, just to keep the door open. They go back to New York and digest what took place. They then try to come up with an offer again that may make the city give in. They ask for another meeting. In this one Stern offers a very vague proposal that has nothing binding in it. The city keeps saying no, and that the league has to come up with an offer that satisfies them, not the league. At that point Sterns side may bring out their second offer, one that addresses the assurances the city wants. But this one has such high committments from the city that must be met that it will be extremely difficult to meet, such as a brand new arena, and other benchmarks. The city still says no, that they want the agreement on their terms and once again that if the league and Bennett truly do want to settle this whole affair they have to satisfy the city.

At that point Stern and his team leave and either have a conference call with the owners, or have a meeting, where Stern lays out what it will take to settle. At that point no one really can predict what the owners will say. Maybe the owners will give the green light. Maybe they will just tell Bennett to suffer for two more years then he can leave. It's difficult to say.

But in all this the city stands firm, and once again puts the ball in the leagues court. I've done alot of negotiating and I've found that it's a good strategy to give the other side the problem and have them find a solution that's acceptable to you rather than you have the problem and have to solve it for the other side. I think at this stage the pressure is on the league and Bennett's side and the city has the leverage. How far the league is willing to go to squash the court case, keep all their secret workings secret, avoid the big headache of a lame duck franchise, and all the rest that messes up their agenda is the big question.

But I do expect some dialogue between the parties before the court date.

Move Memphis back to the left coast. No one went to their games when they were winning 50 a year. I know Seattle fans would support it. I can't believe the franchise is moving.

^Uh, that article is a little old to the situation. The Sonics aren't moving yet. Since then, they have rebuked their offer to "settle" (I don't think the mayor has ever been willing to agree on a settlement).

In addition, the city won a pretty big decision yesterday in court that will not allow Clay to give the city an X amount of money in order to buyout the city.

They are far from leaving right now, unless they lose their court case in June.