Sacramento Kings owners issue new arena warning

The owners of Sacramento’s NBA franchise issued a new warning on Monday: They won’t go along with a new arena deal if they’re expected to help pay.

It is a statement that could renew hope that the Kings might move to Seattle’s proposed new arena instead.

According to KING 5, a lawyer for Sacramento Kings owners Joe, Gavin and George Maloof, says the team never agreed to help cover some of the costs of a new arena, despite a widely publicized announcement by the NBA and Sacramento’s mayor.

Sacramento officials have been working to address the questions and the concerns of the Maloofs, many of which involve the continued and possibly growing expense of building the new complex, like environmental requirements, legal expenses, and other costs.

The Kings have been mentioned as a possible franchise for a proposed new Seattle arena. That possibility seemed to have ended after last month’s announced Sacramento deal.

Even if the Kings leave Sacramento, Seattle isn’t the only possible destination for the team. Anaheim, Calif. is also said to be aggressively pursuing the franchise.

Arena investor Chris Hansen has said that he’s trying to get Seattle ready if an opportunity to get a team presents itself.