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Those close to the situation in Seattle are hanging their hopes on the signed agreement with the Maloofs, the enormous wealth of Ballmer, and the more advanced environmental review process, among other things. Nonetheless, Stern's announcement that the combined finance/relocation committee members would address relocation before delving into a sale of the franchise caused some alarm in Seattle because NBA bylaws list very specific criteria that must be applied to potential moves, including the degree of support within existing communities, the region's demographics, television market size, the overall impact on the league's marketing, etc. Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, David Stern, Adam Silver 

The NBA is considering the idea of splitting the 2015 All-Star weekend between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver says the league is holding discussions with both New York teams and they are open to a joint bid. NBA.com

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Adam Silver 

This is a good problem to have for Stern and his successor, deputy commissioner Adam Silver. They clearly are smitten with the potential global impact that could come with Sacramento's lead investor, Indian software tycoon Vivek Ranadive, but might have a hard time denying Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his deep pockets. Rumors of expansion as the potential solution to satisfy both sides persist, but Stern has said consistently it is not an option at the moment. The reality remains that one city will go home unhappy. The Sacramento group needs eight votes to block the agreed-upon deal that is in place with the Seattle investment group and the Maloof family that owns the team. The Sacramento group, headed by former NBA point guard and Mayor Kevin Johnson, hopes the board will accept its deal that is expected to match the Seattle group's. Whichever way this goes, Stern's final say will guide it. USA Today Sports

Sacramento Kings, Steve Ballmer, Kevin Johnson, Adam Silver, Vivek Ranadive 

All very impressive, NBA Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner concluded on Wednesday after listening to the two groups make their pitch to buy the Kings – Hansen wanting to relocate the team to Seattle and Ranadive trying to keep the team in Sacramento. But Stern and Silver, along with a committee comprised of owners or team chairmen, ended a long day with many unresolved issues. The finish line for the sale of the Kings may not be the finish line at all. With so much at stake – the sale and potential relocation of an NBA franchise – the NBA might not have a decision on the purchase of the Sacramento Kings by the conclusion of the league's Board of Governors meeting on April 19. "We have a lot of work that we have to do from a construction timeline, a regulatory timeline, an ownership and capital structure timeline, and all kinds of other things that the committee has asked us to go back with lawyers and just get a lot more data and information," Stern said. USA Today Sports

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, David Stern, Adam Silver 

In a contrast of post-presentation news conferences, the Seattle group was subdued and the Sacramento group was fired up. "The NBA does not want to move a team from one market to another, period. We already know that," said Sacramento Mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson, who represented the Sacramento group along with Sen. Darrell Steinberg and financial backers Vivek Ranadive, Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle. "They normally move a team from one market to another when the fans don't support it or you can't build a building. That's not the case in Sacramento." USA Today Sports

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, David Stern, Kevin Johnson, Adam Silver, Vivek Ranadive, Ron Burkle, Mark Mastrov 

When asked if the offer needed to be increased, Stern told reporters, "That is not one of the issues." The Hansen-Ballmer group has already given the Maloofs a $30 million, nonrefundable deposit, but the question remains how the NBA will see that aspect of the deal and whether it may be decided that it is, in essence, the price of doing business in this potential transaction for the Seattle group. When asked about the deposit, Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said the deposit came with contingencies. "We're not going to speak to the specifics," Silver said. "And I tell you, it's two entirely different situations. Again, when the Seattle group put down the down payment, that was a contingent deal based on, of course, the ability to purchase and relocate the team. We're dealing with a different circumstance in terms of potential Sacramento buyers." USA Today Sports

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, David Stern, Adam Silver 

Despite each side's optimism, Stern repeatedly called it a complex situation, and the NBA will seek clarity. Who knows when a decision will be made? It may not be at the conclusion of the Board of Governors meeting on April 19, but time is a factor. Stern said if there wasn't a decision by April 19, it shouldn't be much longer after that. He didn't offer a firm timetable. "We have to plan for a season, so there's a combination of timeline set out in the constitution for making a determination," Silver said. "Then there are also the factors as you point out, not just setting a schedule (but) selling a tickets for next season, sponsorships. The owners are mindful of all of those factors." USA Today Sports

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, David Stern, Adam Silver 

There are no easy answers, but someone is going to have to start coming up with some -- namely, the next commissioner, Adam Silver. There is a growing uneasiness among team executives about the future of the NBA product, along with healthy levels of uncertainty about whether Silver will have the clout and gumption to emphasize the game itself over appearances. Maybe he will, and maybe he won't; nobody knows which way that the wind will blow when Silver takes over for David Stern in February 2014. CBSSports.com

David Stern, Adam Silver 

Now, it will be Adam Silver's turn with James. Make no mistake: James and his inner circle have a strong relationship with Silver, who'll replace Stern as the NBA's commissioner in 2014. Silver is so fond of James' business manager Maverick Carter, he granted an interview with Forbes to render some fluffy quotes for a profile on Carter. Yahoo! Sports

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Adam Silver 

Silver, 50, said Stern was planning a trip to India next month. "Another country of over a billion people with a young population that loves basketball." He said the NBA is working with Brooklyn Nets Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov and the Russian government to further grow basketball there as well as projects to develop the game more on the continent of Africa. Silver said he believed establishing teams outside the United States was part of the NBA's future, but remained in the conceptual stage. "When we do expand, we'd need to expand probably with multiple teams, so that you wouldn't have an orphan team in Europe, but that you'd potentially have a division so those teams could play each other more often and NBA teams presumably traveling in Europe could have more teams to play when they're over there," said Silver. "It's still a concept, but I'm comfortable with it." Reuters

Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, David Stern, Russia, India, Adam Silver 

A golden period awaits the National Basketball Association (NBA) with global interest and business opportunities growing, the man set to replace Commissioner David Stern, said on Thursday. Adam Silver, who will replace Stern when the NBA's longest-serving commissioner steps down next February, considers China key to the league's growth potential and likes the idea of one day having team based outside the United States. "I'm excited about the opportunity ahead," Silver told Reuters after a news conference to announce that ESPN and the WNBA extended an agreement to televise the women's league by six years through 2022. Reuters

David Stern, China, Adam Silver 

Who is more important in keeping the Kings in Sacramento? The commissioner or the fellow owners? “I think the fellow owners. The commissioner would very much say that his job is to create options and lay out the facts for the owners. I think he will do that in a very effective way. The owners, it is up to them to protect their brand and the association of the NBA. Not one team or one city is more important than the NBA. I certainly know that first-hand. I think the owners frown upon moving a team from one city to another. They want to do everything that they can to preserve a team and a market. It’s a death blow to the league and they don’t want to do that. Normally when you have a team leave from one city, it’s either a team is not being supported by the fans in the corporate community or they can’t build a building. That is why the team left Seattle; they weren’t getting the support they needed and they couldn’t build a building. That is not the case in Sacramento. Our fans are some of the best in the NBA bar none and we have two arena deals. We just had one approved two nights ago by council to make a $258 million investment in a brand new arena downtown and we had an arena deal approved a year ago. The two primary factors, we have addressed in Sacramento. It would be unprecedented for owners to say, ‘We’re going to pick up this team and move it to another city.’” Sports Radio Interviews

Sacramento Kings, David Stern, Owners, Kevin Johnson, Adam Silver 

Royce White responded that while he had no comment on the Rockets motives for sending him to the D-league, he did believe that the Rockets, the NBA and its leadership want him gone. White told Hill: If I was to make an educated guess, I would guess that Adam Silver and David Stern and the Rockets organization, some other owners in the league, GMs, want me gone. And why do they want me gone? Because business is about convenience, not about doing what's necessary. It's about cutting overhead... And a lot of times, what's best for us as human beings doesn't meet that criteria for business people. Huffington Post

Houston Rockets, David Stern, Adam Silver, Royce White 

“I went through the bumps and bruises of having to advocate for myself against a billion-dollar corporation. Other than that, I think I’ve actually been successful, if you look at the rate of success, or what could have went wrong. I could have easily been out of the league or blackballed or things like that. But that hasn’t happened yet… “I’m a problem because I’m not afraid to say what I think and I’m not afraid to stand alone. Even amongst the NBA community, the players, the union, the NBA office, and [commissioner] David Stern and [deputy commissioner] Adam Silver. I’m not afraid to stand alone in my own circle, and say, hey listen, you guys aren’t respecting mental health… “If I was to make an educated guess, I would guess that Adam Silver and David Stern and the Rockets organization, some other owners in the league, GMs, want me gone. And why do they want me gone? Because business is about convenience, it’s not about doing what’s necessary, right? It’s about cutting overhead… Being efficient. And a lot of times, what’s best for us as human beings doesn’t meet that criteria for business people.” SI.com

Houston Rockets, David Stern, Adam Silver, Royce White 

What Stern, Hunter, Adam Silver and the rest accomplished two summers ago became as clear as daylight Thursday. They turned the NBA into the NFL -- the No Fun League -- when it comes to the trades and in-season player movement. No more stars forcing trades to the markets of their choosing with the reward of max dollars forming the cherry on top. "This is a pure CBA deadline," one general manager said Thursday after the dust settled. "If you can't get a first for J.J. Redick, this is a different world. That guy is a surefire lock to garner a first round pick in the past." CBSSports.com

Trade, CBA, Adam Silver 

League sources said there have been no other expressions of interest yet in the 2016 event; the 2014 weekend is scheduled for New Orleans and NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said here Saturday night that either Brooklyn or New York are odds-on favourites to host the 2015 game. Toronto Star

Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, All-Star, Adam Silver 

Silver, who assumes the commissioner’s duties next February, said the selection process isn’t likely to change and while it might be intriguing to take the extravaganza to neutral cities, perhaps in Europe, that might not be workable. “We’ve discussed playing internationally. . . . I’m not sure if it will work logistically, but it’s something we’ll continue to study,” he said. “We’ve looked at other neutral cities. We’ve looked at refreshing All-Star Saturday Night and other innovative events for the weekend, and I think we’ll continue to do that, the same way we have under David’s leadership.” Toronto Star

Europe, All-Star, Adam Silver 

After he takes over, Silver promises to conduct the league’s business much the same way Stern has done over the last three decades that has helped the NBA emerge globally. "I’ve been here for 20 years, so I’ve been part of those plans,’’ Silver said. "Most of the senior management from the NBA is here sitting in the front row, so it will be the same team of people that continue to look at those opportunities. I think we’ll continue to do that the same way we have under David’s leadership.’’ Jay Cicero, the CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, said Silver likes New Orleans. It’s also likely Hornets owner Tom Benson will make a push to bring more All-Star Games to New Orleans. New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Hornets, David Stern, Adam Silver, Tom Benson 

The NBA's next commissioner, Adam Silver, told CSNNW.com that there is mutual interest from the league and the Portland Trail Blazers to see about bringing All-Star Weekend to the city of Portland. “They (Trail Blazers) have shown interest and we have interest,” Silver said. “It's an ongoing process. Portland is a great city. We like the idea, but it's something we have to investigate further.” CSNNW.com reached out to Trail Blazers President Chris McGowan and he acknowledged that there is a desire to bring the showcase to Portland and he added, “It would be great for the city to host the event.” CSNNW.com

Portland Trail Blazers, Adam Silver, All Star Game 

NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday night that New York is likely to host the 2015 All-Star Game. Whether it's Manhattan or Brooklyn still has to be determined. The Knicks and Nets have put in bids for the 2015 game, along with several other teams. But the Knicks and Nets are favorites because of their arena situations. The Garden is in Year 2 of a three-year renovation. The Nets are in the first year in the brand- new Barclays Center. Newsday

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Adam Silver, All Star Game