Owners could move the Sacramento Kings franchise to Anaheim: NBA News
South California could become the most happening place in the National Basketball Association (NBA) if the Sacramento King’s owners, Gavin and Joe Maloof, decide to pack up and move to Anaheim. The Kings would be transformed into the Anaheim Kings or Anaheim
Royals to join the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers as the third NBA franchise from South California.
The wheels are already turning as the Kings’ owners have been granted an extension on the deadline by the NBA to file for relocation of their franchise. They will discuss all possible outcomes at their Board of Governors meeting on 14-15 April and have now
been instructed to make a final decision by 18 April. The Kings have to decide whether they want to move or not, and where they want to move for that matter.
The Maloofs' have been looking to move out of Sacramento for the past three years due to a combination of problems. The major reason for the move is a lack of revenue; there can only be so much generated from a small city like Sacramento. Add to that the
inability to build a new, bigger arena with more seating capacity, and you have a genuine problem on your hands.
Anaheim would be a good relocation idea for the ailing Sacramento Kings. The Honda Centre would cater to the Kings needs and has all the necessary requirements for an NBA arena. Maybe, even more.
The Maloofs have been holding discussions with officials in the area and have also spoken to Henry Samueli, owner of the Anaheim Ducks, about renting the Honda Centre for his NBA franchise. The Anaheim City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a deal
worth $75 million to further upgrade the Honda Centre.
It already has a capacity of 17,000 plus, and the recent up gradation of the arena has led many to believe that it might just be a ploy by the Anaheim city administration to attract the Kings into Anaheim for good.
Whether the Kings’ would be able to fill up the arena in the Anaheim area is still anyone’s guess. However, if the Kings’ or Royals relocate, they will have a bigger market to cater to. Orange County has nearly double the population of Sacramento County
and is also considerably wealthier.
A move to Anaheim could also see the Kings partnering with Fox Sports. The opportunity to grant them sole television broadcasting rights for the Kings could possibly net the Maloofs triple the amount that is generated by their current contract in Sacramento.
All this extra source of revenue would allow the owners to jack-up their salary cap and focus on putting together a better roster, one which could guarantee them repeated trips to the NBA play-offs. The allure of playing in a bigger-market would also increase
the franchise’s chances of signing some high-profile free agents.
Whatever the case may be, the Sacramento Kings need to do all it takes to improve on the basketball front as well. A 21–53 record clearly indicates that the management needs to sort things out quickly.
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