By Jim Moore

Kevin Calabro says he's cautiously optimistic about potential arena plans that were revealed in a Seattle Times story last weekend.

Brock Huard, in a story on 710Sports.com, says that a source has told him the process is not as far along as we might be led to believe. The source also told Huard that the plans for a new arena south of Safeco Field hinge solely on the Kings leaving Sacramento.

We'll find out more about the Sacramento situation on March 1, the NBA deadline for the Kings to present financing plans for a new arena.

But if it's all right with Kevin and Brock, I'm going to put the cart before the horse even if it risks jinxing the whole damn thing. Forget cautiously optimistic; I'm going to be wildly optimistic.

I like to imagine what it will be like with the Kings here and the Phoenix Coyotes here, just like Matt Pitman did when he recorded a mock SportsCenter Tuesday.

What a beautiful thing that was, listening to previews of the Totems' game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Sonics' game against Blake Griffin and the L.A. Clippers, with both games being played at Amazon.com Arena.

If this year were next year, the Sonics would be playing the Thunder Thursday night -- as it is, Oklahoma City will be playing the Kings in Sacramento. Think about what that first game against the Thunder will be like in Seattle. Great stuff to be sure, boos mixed with cheers on an emotionally charged night.

And if this year were next year, the Totems would be preparing to host the Calgary Flames, hoping to keep their playoff surge alive. The Coyotes have won four of their last five games, including a 3-1 win over Detroit, the NHL's best team, on Monday.

We'd be fired up for the Totems, hoping they could squeeze into the playoffs, rooting against Minnesota, Colorado, Calgary and Dallas, who are in a five-way dogfight with our favorite hockey team.

If the Phoenix Coyotes were to relocate to Seattle, forward Ray Whitney and company could show Northwest hockey fans what they've been missing. (AP)

It would take some of us time to get up to speed with hockey, but we'd be good to go with the Sonics when they return to town as the former Kings.

We'd be excited about our two blossoming stars -- DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, both of whom are averaging 17 points a game this year. We'd have heard and probably read about Cousins being a piece of work, but he'll get a clean slate and fresh start here.

We'd also be excited about Jimmer Fredette coming to town, hoping he'd "Jimmer" teams in the NBA like he did at BYU. In fact, if the Kings were the Sonics now, we'd be talking about how he almost "Jimmered" the Timberwolves Tuesday night, scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter of an 86-84 loss in Minneapolis.

And yes, I'd even have to become an Isaiah Thomas fan -- the diminutive Kings guard is averaging 7 points a game in his rookie season. Thomas missed all five of his shots against the T-Wolves but still made positive contributions with four assists and two steals.

We'd look at the Sonics and see a roster with only one player in his 30s, 31-year-old Francisco Garcia, and dream of better times ahead for our young team.

And if you're really buying into this like I am, you'll start following the Kings from this point forward and hoping they don't make the playoffs. If they don't make the playoffs, they'll be in the lottery, and how incredibly unbelievable would it be if they moved to Seattle AND had the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft?

At 9-16, the Kings have the fourth-worst record in the NBA, undercut by only Detroit at 6-20, New Orleans at 4-21 and Charlotte at 3-22. (Who knew the Bobcats were this bad?)

Truth be known, as much as I'd like to see the Kings move to Seattle, I'd still rather see them work things out in Sacramento. You remember how it felt when the Sonics left town, and you don't wish that on any other city's fans.

But if March 1 comes and the financing for a new arena falls through in Sacramento, well, what are we supposed to do? You and I can't do anything about that, and it paves the way for a Kings' move to Seattle.

If it happens, there will be at least one transitional season, maybe two, at KeyArena before the new arena is completed. That, in my mind, would be perfect with KeyArena connecting the past with the future.

Jim Moore also writes for his website, www.jimmoorethego2guy.com, and 710Sports.com. You can reach Jim at jimmoorethego2guy@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @cougsgo.

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