Maloofs To Lobby NBA In Sacramento
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- One of the owners of the Kings will return to Sacramento to meet with the NBA's relocation committee after asking for another extension on whether to relocate the team to Southern California.
The NBA is sending a team to the California Capitol this week to investigate the new financial resources that Mayor Kevin Johnson said was willing to work together to keep the Kings in Sacramento.
"If we build a good case, then there might be a chance to keep the Kings here," Johnson said after returning from New York on Sunday.
The leader of the team, Clay Bennett, is the same man who moved a team from Seattle to Oklahoma City, but Johnson said he isn't concerned about the visit.
"We want to hear his guidance, we want to build our case," he said.
Johnson told the NBA board of governor's last week that businesses have pledged $7 million in corporate sponsorships for luxury suites and billionaire Ron Burkle has expressed interest in buying out the franchise and keeping it in Sacramento.
The Maloof brothers offered few assurances to Kings fans last week on whether the team would remain in town and said they didn't believe the city could attract another NBA team if the Kings left.
"We need more time, gotta figure it out," Gavin Maloof said on Friday.
Gavin will lobby the relocation committee in Sacramento later this week, CBS13 has learned.
NBA commissioner David Stern said he expects the Maloofs will file for relocation at the end of the two-week extension. It is unclear whether the Maloofs have enough league votes to approve the move.
