<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Nothing can stop Clay Bennett from taking his basketball franchise to Oklahoma City next season. Not unhappy Sonics fans, who never did have a voice in this matter. Not Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, who stepped aside with Wednesday's stunning final-hour settlement of the city's legal battle with Bennett. Not even former Sonics owner Howard Schultz, who still has his own lawsuit pending against Bennett and his partners even in the wake of the city's $45 million settlement that leaves Seattle with the Sonics' name and history, but no team for the immediate future. Seattle will receive an additional $30 million from the Oklahoma owners if the Legislature approves funding for a new arena or KeyArena remodel in its next session and a new NBA team does not move into that facility by 2013. But Schultz, who sold the franchise to Bennett's group in 2006, does hold out hope of ultimately overturning the process and getting the Sonics back to Seattle by 2009-10 as he proceeds with his legal attempt to reverse the sale on the basis of fraud and breach of contract. "Our lawsuit is separate," said Schultz's attorney, Richard Yarmuth. "We are not a party to (the city's) settlement and, in fact, we chose not to participate in it." Brad Keller, lead attorney for Bennett's Professional Basketball Club, said Schultz's efforts would only serve to hurt Seattle's chances of landing a replacement team. "The PBC views the Howard Schultz suit as a far-fetched legal remedy seeking to salvage a tarnished reputation," Keller said. "The Schultz suit will be vigorously defended against. All his suit does is jeopardize the prospects of Seattle getting another team down the road." A source close to Schultz's former ownership group said the Starbucks chief will not file an injunction seeking to prevent the immediate move of the team to Oklahoma City, which would require convincing U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman that Schultz had a legitimate chance of winning his case right now as well as posting a significant bond to cover any potential losses suffered by the PBC's inability to move.</div> Seattle PI
