Remember that arena deal that was going to keep the Kings in Sacramento for the foreseeable future?
Scratch that.
The Maloof family effectively scuttled their handshake agreement with mayor (and ex-NBA player) Kevin Johnson, giving further ammunition to those who thought they never really wanted to work things out in the first place.
The Maloofs seem to be following the "Clay Bennett" model of arena negotiations. Bennett purchased the Seattle Supersonics from Howard Schultz, promising that he'd at least try to negotiate a new area deal with the city before moving the team. Most would agree Bennett didn't try particularly hard, and that his plan from the beginning was to move the team, which is now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It seems likely that the team will have a new home before long, but where? They were reportedly close to a deal with the Honda Center in Anaheim - home of the NHL's Ducks - last season, but the other owners don't appear to have much enthusiasm for a third team in the greater Los Angeles television market.
The Maloofs have extensive ties to Las Vegas, but Vegas does not have an NBA-caliber arena or plans to build one any time soon. Seattle is a possibility, as talks to replace the Key Arena seem to be picking up steam. Kansas City and St. Louis could be dark horses in the race, and the Kings - who were based in KC from 1972 to 1985 - do have some historical ties to the Midwest.
An even darker horse? Newark, New Jersey. The Prudential Center - temporary home to the Nets - is considered one of the nicest arenas in the league. Several big names, including Newark native Shaquille O'Neal and mayor Cory Booker, have expressed interest in finding an NBA team to replace the Nets at "The Rock."
That said, I suspect any team attempting to move to New Jersey will face major opposition from the Knicks, Nets and Sixers.
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