Las Vegas Sun: NBA team ‘under contract’ if Las Vegas builds an arena
Las Vegas Pistons? Oddly enough, the Pistons are the only team mentioned by name in the article. Before you get too worried, it seems like a stretch -- multiple pieces of the puzzle have to fall into place for this mystery team to move, including a new arena built with public funds. But even though Mrs. D has indicated she'd like to sell the team and the arena together, you have to figure she'd move them piecemeal if it meant getting similar value.
almost 2 years ago
Matt Watson
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Seriously, she would be a bigger villain than LeBron.
Except instead of burning jerseys, I say we burn family members.
/justkidding
by Terrence J. Lynch on Jul 14, 2010 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions
charlie v
would be murdering all them free buffets for sure
by Band Aid on Jul 14, 2010 8:03 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Trying not ...
…to panic. This almost has to be the Pistons, right? The only other endangered franchises I can think of are NOLA and Memphis. I would think that the Illitches wouldn’t let this happen. They almost certainly need the Pistons in order to secure financing for a new downtown arena. With The Palace as an alternative, I can’t imagine public funding being considered to build a 3rd major arena in the area.
word about Illitch
is that he doesn’t care for the Pistons, but he does want The Palace and the all the rest of the Davidson estate. Bill owned a ton of very expensive property in prime location; according to 97.1 he would be interested in buying them for the sake of the addons (for various reasons) and then just letting a guy like Tom – or anyone with enough money/enthusiasm for that matter – run the actual Pistons
by bearded thundar on Jul 14, 2010 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Memphis is not an option
Their lease agreement is so expensive to get out of that no purchaser in their right mind would consider buying the team and attempting to move them elsewhere.
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
Be still my beating heart.
This is what happens just before I murder someone.
by heWizard on Jul 14, 2010 8:14 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
really fucking scary
I would be devastated if this happens and would have nothing but a profanity laced tirade about her, but I’ll hold off until something concrete comes up.
Best Regards,
Rami.
Think we have it bad?
How must Seatle feel about this? When their team was stolen from them, they were essentially promised that they would be first on the list of destinations if any current team moved. Franchises aren’t moved or created very often. How would they feel if some new team just popped up in Las Vegas? Total kick in the teeth for them.
There's no justice like angry mob justice!
Just realized
That article says nothing about potential NBA approval of such a move. If I’m not mistaken, the current NBA owners have to vote on and approve any sale and/or relocation. The article glosses over the fact that the league has been reluctant to have a franchise based in Vegas because of the gambling issue, and also glosses over the fact that Nevada is in just as bad financial shape as Michigan and I find it extremely doubtful that securing public financing of an arena is anywhere close to a sure thing.
Depends on how they publicly finance
If they looked to the gambling industry to finance, then it wouldn’t be a problem at all.
And as far as owners voting down a potential move…well I actually don’t think they’ve ever voted down a move before. The Seattle to OKC move (from 11th largest market in the NBA to bottom 10) was 28 out of 30 in approving the move despite the extreme shadiness associated with the acquisition of the team and impending move. Mark Cuban and Paul Allen being the only two owners to vote against.
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
The Pistons Moving
Would represent an EPIC failure on the part of the NBA. One of 7 franchises to win a title in the last 25 years and a franchise that led the league in attendance from 2004-2008. They’re the 4th most valuable franchise. I’m terrified as a Pistons fan right now, but if I was a Grizzlies or Hornets or Pacers or fan of any other team save the Knicks, Celts, Lakers, and Heat, I would be terrified my team could get pulled out from underneath me. There’s also the whole “Seattle was promised they’d be next in line for a team” thing mentioned above. I hate David Stern.
Agreed that it would be an epic fail
And again you keep bringing up Memphis but the the amount of money a new owner would have to spend to relocate the Grizzlies is so high and the opportunities for moving a different team (like NOLA for example being there, I just don’t see the Grizzlies moving anywhere in the next 10 years…
Here’s an article I scrounged up a while ago when there was more talk of potential teams on the move that outlines the expenses incurred if one tried to move the team out of Memphis as well as the lease agreement that the city has with the team: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/feb/29/grizzlies-are-not-leaving/
A couple of things that have changed since then…it appears that the City and County have somehow lost their right to match any outside buyer to acquire the team themselves but they can still find a local buyer to match on their behalf. Also, it appears the naming rights for FedEx have also been bought off but the initial cost (ignoring the actual cost of the team ilf which Heisley is apparently unwilling to go lower than $300M…an offer issued from 2 of the co-owners to buy Heisley out) would be upwards of $150-$200M in order to relocate and even then the team can only relocate if ticket sales fall below a certain threshold (and the city of Memphis is allowed to buy tickets to meet minimum attendance levels).
So at the earliest 2015, and even then its not likely.
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
why not GS or Sacremento?
Don’t the Maloofs own some major hotel/casino in Vegas? It would make sense to bring their team to a bigger market and combine their assets.
Also GS would be a fairly short move, and it’s not like they have anything to show for in California so long the Lakers (and likely Kings) exist
"Don’t really know shit about White other than he is a colon of Stuckey" - das SmittyJ
And here I thought I knew White like the palm of my hand
by bearded thundar on Jul 15, 2010 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
im praying its golden state. does stern really want the negative pub of taking a great franchise away from city like detroit?
I like the feeling of hunting down what I feed my family. If there’s a beast out there capable of hunting down Brock Lesnar, he would do it and make me the trophy on his den wall. But the laws of nature dictate that I’m going to be the one who goes into the wild and comes home with the evening’s bounty. - The #1 ranked HW in the world...
by DrewMoney$$$ on Jul 15, 2010 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Probably not the Warriors
The San Francisco/ Oakland market is huge, one of the biggest in the league. Sacremento on the other hand is one of the smallest markets in the league, have been unsucessfully trying to build a new arena for years, and their owners have strong ties to Vegas. I’d be very nervous if I were a Kings fan.
There's no justice like angry mob justice!
I didn’t mean to harp on the Grizzlies. I will play devil’s advocate, though. What’s the earliest they could conceivably move? The sale would take months to go through. Figure 2 seasons for the arena to be ready and you get into the 2015 time range you mentioned.
That said, you are right. With the city having the option to buy tickets to fulfill the lease terms, they’re an unlikely candidate.
by Other Matt on Jul 15, 2010 4:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
oh no worries
Its just a common team to point to when discussing the possible moves because it moved so quickly after being established and because they’ve been terrible their entire time in Memphis. When Seatte’s team was stolen, I did a lot of digging to see what the most likely candidate might before another team in Seattle…I concluded that the four most likely (which is a sad state of affairs given the below list) are the following:
New Orleans (very unlikely)
Detroit (extremely unlikely)
Golden State (no longer eligible)
Charlotte (now that Jordan is majority owner, I don’t see this happening)
So long story short, I don’t think Seattle will have a team again. Which is incredibly depressing to me as a Pistons fan and a basketball fan.
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
Kings are the most likely franchise to move, in my opinion
Talks to build a new arena for the Kings are in a perpetual state of limbo.
RalphGoHome
agreed. I was just listing the teams I thought were most likely to move to Seattle
If the Kings move, they’re moving to Vegas. I don’t see the Maloof brothers just abandoning Sacramento for Seattle…
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
If I was a billionaire, I would choose Seattle no question.
Cousins would make one bad ass Sonic. I’d out Cuban Cuban. It’d be awesome.
This of course, after I purchased the Pistons.
RalphGoHome
And they should bring Kevin Calabro back to do play-by-play so he can say awesome things like, “Get on that magic carpet and riiiiiiide, DeMarcus!” and, “Get on up for the down stroke, baby!” every time Cousins throws it down on some fool’s head.
by garrettelliott on Jul 17, 2010 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
In the words of 50 Cent
The Pistons without Detroit would be like:
An ill flow with no beat, is incomplete, it’s like a stickup kid
running round without no heat, it like a fifth with no kick
a fiend with no hit, a willie with no wit
A bad bitch that won’t blow dick
It’s like a rollie with no ice, a gambling spot with no dice
Like fucking supermodel bitches and not bustin off twice
‘Rowdy Rowdy’ -1999
NBA denies contract allegation
I don’t expect them to say anything if it wasn’t the case, but maybe, just maybe, Milam is saying that to try to coerce a deal to build a new arena. It’s better than trying to build one without having a team and more attractive to possible investors and the public.
Too bad the chairman for Mandalay Entertainment is reported to be purchasing the team
From ESPN Rumors:
According to a source speaking to CNBC’s Darren Rovell, Peter Guber, chairman of Mandalay Entertainment, and Joe Lacob, managing partner at private equity firm Kleiner Perkins, have won the bid to assume ownership of the Warriors.The tie to Mandalay should raise some eyebrows and Golden State was also one of the more likely teams on the move.
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
makes sense for a west coast team to move
GS makes perfect sense in the saturated Cali market. I read another article that mentioned it might be the Kings since Maloof was directly asked and dodged the question….which kind goes with what thundar was saying a few posts above.
I was curious, so I looked into it
Mandalay Entertainment does not own the Mandalay Bay Casino (nor, as far as I could find, any present properties in Las Vegas).
witty signature
Oh...good point
Mandalay Entertainment would be the Production Company that produces films in the Hollywoods. MAH BAD!
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
They've got the bengal tiger as their logo
rawr!
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
that makes the most sense
GS really had no market in California considering the Lakers (and the lack of real fans) and had terrible management. Moving to Vegas could mean a lot more income from tourists alone, not to mention a lot smarter businessmen running the organization
"Don’t really know shit about White other than he is a colon of Stuckey" - das SmittyJ
And here I thought I knew White like the palm of my hand
by bearded thundar on Jul 15, 2010 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions
At least Detroit is safe.
Because there can be only one reaction to the Pistons moving west:
by -PS- on Jul 15, 2010 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I was thinking more along the lines of this
"Don’t really know shit about White other than he is a colon of Stuckey" - das SmittyJ
And here I thought I knew White like the palm of my hand
by bearded thundar on Jul 15, 2010 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions
If Los Pistones moved down to Sin City, I would replicate this man's reversal of fortune
RalphGoHome
d'oh!
I read that as “RateMyKink” and was disappointed upon arriving at an empty website…
witty signature
Kings
I can’t imagine the Maloofs allowing somebody to relocate a team to Vegas before they get an honest crack at it. Not with their business interests in that city. Although, the Kings put out a press release saying they had no knowledge of the deal and no plans to relocate the franchise from Sacto. Ziller has a post on it over at sactown royalty. The comment thread is interesting because as of lunch today there was no mention of the Pistons, the Hornets were the most mentioned team.
by Other Matt on Jul 15, 2010 4:26 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Not worried (for now)
If there is a deal in place with an NBA franchise it wouldn’t make much sense for that deal to be with the Pistons, since the team is for sale. I suppose that it is conceivable that there is a deal in place with a potential buyer who wants to move the team to LV but it seems like there would be too many moving parts in that scenario for something not to have leaked out.
How could a team built on tough nose defense and solid, but not spectacular play, be a draw for Vegas. I couldn’t imagine them getting my beloved Pistons. But the Warriors on the other hand. Entertaining, fast past, flash and dash, smoke and mirrors? Sounds like Vegas to me . It’d kinda be perfect. A fun team in town that’s never going to truly compete for the title but will put on some good shows. Perfect fit.
Although Golden State did just change their logo. That’s a deal breaker right there.
To experience the consequences of my own choices. This is why I live
Piston's put out a statement
saying they are not moving or looking to move the team out of Detroit.
http://detroitnews.com/article/20100716/SPORTS0102/7160334/Pistons-aren-t-looking-at-Vegas
Is it a foregone conclusion? Probably not, but this statement does make me sleep better.
I can't trust any such statement.
The only quotes I ever pay attention to are Player quotes, like this one from Boourns:
I read that Pat Sullivan, our coach out here in Las Vegas, said that I was talking a lot in the huddle after our first game and that I wouldn’t let the team lose. I feel I can talk a little bit more and I plan to do that during the regular season, too. The first season, as a rookie, I didn’t know the guys and now I know everybody. I’m not going to be quiet if we’re playing bad or I feel somebody isn’t giving 100 percent, I’m going to let them know and I think everybody will respect that. I’m going to try to be a little bit louder this season
I don’t read Langlois, Dumars, Kuester, or any of the other front office cats. I would read Arnie Kander, but he doesn’t talk much. Front Office statements have become pretty common, and generally bereft of merit. I’m not trying to be a snot, just being honest.
RalphGoHome
I think this statement
doesn’t leave any room for interpretation:
“While there is no substantive news to report regarding the sale of the Detroit Pistons, our ownership group has absolutely nothing to do with any proposal that would move the team to Las Vegas”
I doubt they’d be so clear cut about it and not dodge the question. They don’t have to put out any statements. Anything can happen sure and I generally don’t bite when front office guys talk, but this points to us not moving and no reports from the front office usually means bad news. It’s not as if the Piston’s front office is air tight. They have plenty of folks that talk to the media unofficially so something would of come out if this was us.
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