NBA Rumors

NBA basketball in Las Vegas has historically been restricted to summer leagues, an  All-Star Game and the under-the-rug antics of players during the off-season, but this could all be mere side notes in the future if rumors that an NBA team may move to Sin City actually come to fruition.  Speculation that a team may relocate to the desert has sprung up on numerous occasions over the course of the past several decades, but considering the current state of the economy and claims owners lost as much as $370 million collectively last year make seemingly far-fetched proposals a lot more palatable.  Franchises around the country are fare from financially comfortable, some surrounding by struggling local economies and strapped for cash fan bases.  Any prospective owner with deep pockets warrants serious consideration, and where better a place to set up shop than a city built on greenbacks changing hands.

Vegas rumors are swirling after an article in the Vegas Sun reported that a development company was looking in to clearing way for the construction of a basketball stadium in the city.  The article further fired up chatter by hinting that an agreement may be already in place with a franchise to make the move were a suitable arena to be successfully financed.  Early suspicions are swirling around two teams, the Detroit Pistons and the Sacramento Kings.  The Kings continue their longstanding tradition of popping up in nearly every Vegas story as a result of their owners’ long standing connection to the city.  The Maloofs have a major stake in the renowned Palms casino and resort, a Vegas landmark.  Meanwhile in Sacramento, headway towards getting a new stadium appears to be an uphill battle.  The Pistons name has surfaced because they are currently on the market and the long term outlook for full financial recovery in Detroit is weak.  The Atlanta Hawks may be a sleeper in all of this.  The Atlanta Spirit, their ownership group, has been shaky for years now dating back to the acquisition of Joe Johnson, and though they play in the perfectly satisfactory Philips Arena, after the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City, anything is possible.

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