Just the other day I was wondering why the Sonics haven't heavily pursued any worthwiled free agents. I was also wondering why the Sonics have been so reluctant to give any player of theirs a contract extension (they were willing to let Rashard Lewis walk back in '02 also). Considering that we have so many potential free agents in '05-'06 I am beginning to believe that there might be plans of selling the team and possibly relocating to another city. Owners who are looking to sell try to minimize their payroll so that their product is more attractive. I read somewhere that the Sonics were in the bottom five in terms of gross revenue this past season. The Sonics did not seem interested in resigning Barry and they haven't made any type of commitments to Ray Allen either. Billy McKinney was relieved of his duties and both the coaching staff and our general manager are in the last year of their contracts. It would be very enticing for new ownership to have a team w/ great flexibility from a salary cap perspective, while also being able to hand pick their entire management team. Nothing that the Sonics have done shows a desire to improve. The Danny Fortson trade saved the Sonics over seven million dollars b/c his contract runs out a year before Calvin Booth's. If a team is losing money, all types of ideas go through an owner mind. I have heard that there is a very strong push to get a franchise in Las Vegas. Considering that the Sonics are in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference from a geography standpoint, it would be an easy transition. Just something to think about. Are the Sonics preparing to sell instead of preparing to win?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Casual:</div><div class="quote_post">I doubt it. That type of stuff is always made public, so we'd know.</div> They're normally made public after the deals are in the last stages of finalization. I wonder if Baltimore Colts fans would agree w/ you. I'm not saying its going to happen but it is at least something to consider.
That's a very interesting perspective, and probably not as outrageous as it seems. It seems evident that Howard Schultz bought this team as a business investment, and when you consider on court success is at a minimum, while attendances are towards the lower end of the scale, is he going to stick around for the long haul? What has puzzled me the most is we were almost promised big changes this offseason. management kept talking about how they were going to be aggressive and pursue numerous trade options, and nothing has happened. Apart from adding Fortson, none of our roster problems have been solved, or even looked like being solved. What happens with Ray Allen should be interesting, for the short term anyway.
Has anything the Sonics done this offseason disproved my theory? I brought back this thread b/c my gut is really telling me that this year is a time bomb ready to explode. Does anyone else feel as uneasy as I do about this upcoming season?
Not really. We have more talent than last year, and it's basically a repeat of GP leaving. The front office is dumb, but they're not retarded.
I wouldn't know what is actually within the Sonics' ability as far as making a push for the playoffs.. We were actually fairly close to nabbing the 8th seed last year, and you could argue that had Brent & Ray not been injured for stretches, that they might have made it. With that knowledge, what would have been your idea of a realistic trade that would put us in a significantly better position? Only trades involving Ray would do that, and I don't know about you but I'd rather have him than Shareef (who seemed the only real possibility for us..) The Fortson trade was a good one both on player and contract value.. Collison should also plug a hole at PF for us, and the only real question mark is the PG position, which we are still stocked at with good-value contracts.. I mean we did get rid of one of our three overpaid centers; that's more than I was expecting really And I hope the team isn't sold :[ I was disappointed when the Grizzlies left Vancouver and i'd hate to not have easy access to a live game every now and then..
I don't think standing pat at the moment could be construed as an indication the franchise is about to be sold? We've done about as much as the other 29 franchises...
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Rumors of Schultz's desire to divest his interest in the team, which was purchased by The Basketball Club of Seattle for $200 million in 2001, have been circulating for months, and during that time he and Walker have denied there was any truth to the rumors. Monday marked the first time Walker did not outright deny Schultz's perceived intent. The rumors of Schultz's departure were so strong at one point that the organization threw the office workers a company picnic after the season and employees were convinced that Walker was going to announce that Schultz was selling. Schultz has not been pleased in a business that is so vastly different from his Starbucks empire. He has complained in the past of a difficult business paradigm that pays its employees (players) more than 60 percent of its revenue. He also has expressed displeasure over the unpredictability of owners who overpay players and set a false market. And he has been frustrated by his inability to sway the views of his players in a business that he believes should be customer-friendly. He has taken a dramatic step back from his once visible and hands-on presence in the organization, and his body language during games has only fueled the speculation. If Schultz does decide to sell his share in the team - believed to be about 42 percent - it is unclear to whom he would sell, when he would do it and for how much. Several teams have sold in recent years for $300 million or more, though the Sonics were valued by Forbes Magazine last season at $196 million. Sources within the organization believe that John Stanton, the chairman and CEO of VoiceStream Wireless and already part of the ownership group, is interested in buying out Schultz and having a larger role in the organization. Stanton is close with Walker, and it is believed within the organization that Walker recruited Stanton in 2000 to purchase a share of the team.</div> http://www.tribnet.com/sports/basketball/s...p-5511615c.html I guess I wasn't too far off after all.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Forget Oklahoma. How about the Las Vegas Sonics? Sonics owner Clay Bennett told a group of Seattle business and civic leaders this week that Las Vegas, rather than his hometown of Oklahoma City, would be a likely destination if the team winds up leaving Washington state. Bennett made the comments at a Wednesday board meeting of Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau. Sonics spokesman Jim Kneeland confirmed Bennett's comments Thursday, and said that while no firm plans are in place, the team is "looking really hard right now" at Las Vegas in the wake of the Legislature's rejection of public funding for a proposed $500 million Renton arena. "He [Bennett] said, 'I'd still like to get a deal done here, but we're at a point where we have to start looking at other options,' " Kneeland said. It's not clear whether the NBA will allow a team in the nation's gambling capital.</div> Link Foresight is truly a redeeming quality.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Iron Shiek:</div><div class="quote_post"> Foresight is truly a redeeming quality.</div> It removes all punk in one's heart for sure. And **** Vegas.
