"Other Sacramento fans launched a fight to keep the team — again.The grass-roots organization Here We Stay, which has worked to keep the Kings for two years, started an online petition drive urging the NBA to allow a Sacramento buyer to match any offer from Hansen and give Seattle an expansion team instead. Then Hansen increased his offer to $550 million, which implies buying the 65 per cent stake for about $357 million.Following the relocation committee’s unanimous recommendation on April 29 to deny the move to Seattle, Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer dug deeper into their pockets in a final attempt to sway the NBA Board of Governors. But if they really cared, they would try to stay and work things out. The Kings guard has no answers for family and friends who have been calling and texting for information.
Another read: "Accepting money for Kings relief fund." Hansen has a five-year memorandum of understanding with the city and county on the arena plan.Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. or redistributed. DALLAS—NBA owners voted Wednesday to reject the Sacramento Kings’ proposed move to Seattle, the latest in a long line of cities that have tried to land the franchise.. They raised the valuation of the Kings to $625 million, or $406 million for the Maloofs’ interest in the franchise, and offered a $115 million relocation fee, nearly four times what Clay Bennett paid to move the Sonics.Hansen’s group also guaranteed owners that the franchise would pay into the league’s revenue-sharing system in Seattle and not collect money as it has in Sacramento.They were aggressive and bold public statements that had been lacking from the Seattle group through much of the process while Sacramento openly made its case in the public eye.As a backup, the Seattle group negotiated a plan to buy a minority stake in the Kings with the Maloofs retaining majority ownership and keeping the team in Sacramento.It’s the second time since 2011 that the Maloof brothers have made plans that would have ended in relocation for the Kings. The first target was Anaheim, Calif., but Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former all-star guard, convinced the NBA to give the city another chance to finance a new arena.Johnson delivered on a promise for a plan for a new downtown arena with help from Stern, but the Maloofs backed out, saying it didn’t make financial sense.The Maloofs had another surprise when they announced a deal with Hansen’s group, which includes Ballmer and members of the Nordstrom department store family.Johnson fought back again, this time lining up an ownership group led by TIBCO software chairman Vivek Ranadive and getting the Sacramento City Council to approve a non-binding financing plan for a $447 million arena with a $258 million public subsidy.The potential Sacramento ownership group also includes 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, former Facebook senior executive Chris Kelly and the Jacobs family that owns communications giant Qualcomm.Seattle has been without an NBA franchise since the SuperSonics moved. Even the excitement his brother, Alvertis, had when he showed up for a visit evaporated once he realized those in Sacramento might feel the same sorrow as when the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City in 2008. Toronto Star articles, please go to:Never miss the latest on the Leafs, Jays, Raptors and more with the Star's Sports Headlines email newsletter.The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Another year it's Virginia Beach. Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6 Further complications in Sacramento Kings’ move to Seattle Originally published January 12, 2013 at 10:52 am Updated January 12, 2013 at 12:59 pm Share story It's not a good thing," Thomas said. It's not the first time Johnson, a former NBA All-Star, has faced a difficult challenge.In 2011, the Kings appeared determined to move to Anaheim before Johnson convinced the NBA to give the city one last chance to help finance an arena. Word of the possible sale of the team to a group that would move the franchise to Seattle has Kings fan showing their support with hopes they will remain in Sacramento. "It's horrible that the Kings could be leaving," said Kasim Ersoy, who has lived in Sacramento for two years. "For Sacramento players, coaches and fans, this is not an easy time.In the first game since the latest — and perhaps most serious — round of relocation talks began, the Kings lost to the Dallas Mavericks 117-112 in overtime Thursday night, with chatter around the aging arena seemingly centering on everything but basketball.Newspaper and television reporters from Seattle showed up along with an increased local media presence. The Kings' future in California's capital city has been uncertain since the Maloofs backed out of a tentative $391 million deal last year for a new downtown arena in Sacramento.Yahoo! "Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAPThis material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Word of the possible sale of the team to investor Chris Hansen who would move the franchise to Seattle has Kings fan showing their support with hopes they will remain in Sacramento. All market data delayed 20 minutes.A Sacramento Kings fan Geral McDaniel displays his feelings toward the Maloof family, the owners of the team, before the Kings' NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto rights reserved. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Aaron Brooks has been in an awkward spot since news surfaced that the Sacramento Kings could be sold and moved to his hometown of Seattle.