HoopsHype.com Rumors

Aaron Bruski: KJ on Burkle news: "It doesn't change one thing. We addressed this with the NBA (on 4/3). They were very comfortable with what they heard." Twitter @aaronbruski

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Kevin Johnson, Chris Hansen 

Jon Santiago: Mayor Johnson says that Vivek Ranadive is meeting with 20-plus local ownership group today. Twitter @itsjonsantiago

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Kevin Johnson, Vivek Ranadive 

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 

Kevin Johnson: "It would be unprecedented for the NBA to rip the heart out of a city and move a team from one city to the other when the fans support it and you still didn't build it. That has never happened. When you see a team leave, it's (because) they don't have the important corporate support and they can't build a building. Those aren't the cases in Sacramento. USA Today Sports

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, David Stern, Kevin Johnson 

Q: How much stock do you put in that premise that the NBA would be extremely hesitant to walk away from an arena plan with this sort of public contribution because of the precedent it would set with other cities? More and more, it seems as if that's a huge factor here. A: "I fully agree. It would be unprecedented to leave this market that's done what Sacramento has done. Typically, relocation is caused by lack of fan support, no arena, and that doesn't apply in this case. We believe strongly that keeping the team in Sac is in the best interests of the city, the team, and the NBA. There are three key components - the market, where 19 of out of 28 seasons we sold out, (and have) 100 percent market share. When you put Sacramento and Seattle side by side over the 23-year period where both of them have had NBA teams, Sacramento outdrew Seattle 20 of the 23 seasons. And then when you think about the significant public investment. This is a public-private partnership, a significant public investment, with strong local and state political support. This is the kind of commitment the NBA loves for a city to do. USA Today Sports

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, David Stern, Kevin Johnson 

The moment will be seared into the minds of long-suffering Sacramento Kings fans forever. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof standing together at center court, holding hands and raising their arms in triumph after both sides agreed to an arena financing plan to keep the NBA team in town for at least another 30 years. "There's going to be a beacon of light shining bright in 2015 — a brand new arena," a teary eyed Gavin Maloof told a raucous crowd during a timeout in a win over the Utah Jazz on Feb. 28, 2012. "We still love you. We always loved you, and we always will love you." Oklahoman

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, David Stern, Gavin Maloof, Kevin Johnson 

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has been leading the city's efforts to keep the team from leaving -- first, for Anaheim and now, for Seattle -- every step of the way during this three-year ordeal. As chance would have it, Johnson had a wedding to attend in New York over the weekend, so fittingly, the old point guard has been in the city for days, just waiting for what could be his final chance to save his city's team. "It's a culmination of a three-year saga," Johnson told CBSSports.com Monday night. "We've fought so hard as a community because this is our only basketball team. And you don't want anybody taking away something that's yours when you've done what you needed to do to keep a team there. And it's bigger than basketball for us. It's about jobs, it's about civic pride, it's about an opportunity to revitalize our downtown area. "It's a defining moment for our city," he said. CBSSports.com

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Kevin Johnson 

The Hansen group also has put in a bid for the 7 percent of minority shares in the Kings that are in bankruptcy, potentially strengthening its position. But a league source told CBSSports.com that the other minority investors have the right of first refusal, and will be exercising that right before Wednesday. Those shares will be part of Sacramento's proposal, not Seattle's. It's a collision of two cities desperate for membership in the NBA -- one that has had its team slowly pulled out from under it for three years, and another that had its SuperSonics shipped to Oklahoma City in 2008. In terms of fans who love the game and yearn to be a part of it, there can only be one winner here. And one loser. “We have a love affair with the NBA,” Johnson said. “We're one of 30 cities that have an NBA team in the world and we don't want to lose our team.” CBSSports.com

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Kevin Johnson 

As Johnson prepares for Sacramento's final stand, amid the subtle signs of springtime in New York, he can step before the owners knowing he has done everything in his power. He's held up his end of the deal. A book about all this is there for the writing, I told Johnson Monday night, but the fearless mayor of Sacramento quickly corrected me. “It's got to have a good ending,” he said, “for me to think about writing a book.” CBSSports.com

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Kevin Johnson 

But Johnson, 47, a former all-star point guard for the Phoenix Suns, has used his star power and competitive tenacity to keep the Kings alive in the city where he grew up. "I'm a Sacramentan," he says. "You don't ever like to see a team leave a city where you're from. As a player, I traveled around to 29 other cities and saw how much basketball meant. It was about civic pride and economic development. I saw public-private partnerships work. This can be a game-changer." Los Angeles Times

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Kevin Johnson 

Think I’'ll stick with what one league insider told me this week when asked about all of Johnson’'s efforts to assemble an ownership group to challenge the $525 million valuation of the franchise that the Maloof Brothers negotiated in their sale agreement to the Seattle group headed by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer: Sacramento is undeniably “gaining momentum” in terms of keeping the Kings. Reason being: All the recent signals emanating from New York, as one source aptly put it, describe how “really hard to call” this has all gotten. ESPN.com

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Steve Ballmer, Kevin Johnson, Chris Hansen 

That sentiment, though, also has to give Sactown hope, given how widely it was assumed heading into the All-Star break that the Kings were all but Seattle-bound already. The NBA Board of Governors will vote on the proposals from the two cities April 18-19 after the Sacramento counter offer is formally presented to league officials next week. ESPN.com

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Steve Ballmer, Kevin Johnson, Chris Hansen 

Kevin Johnson on the percentage chance of the Kings staying in Sacramento: “I’m going to say Steve Nash is on the free throw line. (Host: So 90 percent?) Ninety percent. Yup.” Sports Radio Interviews

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Kevin Johnson 

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 

When they will find out about the Kings’ future in Sacramento: “April 3 we get a chance to go out and make our case to the joint committee and the NBA, and they will make a final decision on April 18 or April 19.” Sports Radio Interviews

Sacramento Kings, Kevin Johnson 

Brian May: Mayor @KJ_MayorJohnson says he hasn't been told from NBA if Sac or Sea will present 1st to NBA next week in NYC, also not sure what time. Twitter @BMayNews10

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Kevin Johnson 

Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has gathered a strong contingent to bid for keeping the Kings where they are, but their level of commitment won't be certified until they make the same non-refundable payment of $30 million to the Maloofs that the group from Seattle already has made, a source said. Should the league's owners reject the Seattle group in favor of the Sacramento group without meeting that term, the source said, the Maloofs are almost certain to file an anti-trust suit against the league. Sulia

Sacramento Kings, Kevin Johnson 

The Sacramento group also has to deal with several different entities owning parcels of the land upon which the proposed arena would be built. Working through how much the land is worth and a sale price for each parcel is not a quick process; nor is the required cash-out by Warriors part-owner Vivek Ranadive to join the Kings' group. I also have to wonder, considering the potential benefit for the Warriors in having all of Northern California to themselves, how motivated they'll be to expedite the process if doing so enhances the chance of the Kings staying. For what it's worth, the league office is playing this "straight down the middle," according to one source, showing no preference toward either side. Sulia

Sacramento Kings, Kevin Johnson, Vivek Ranadive 

Aaron Bruski: Also from the @Ric Bucher report, multiple sources have described any antitrust threat via the Maloofs as toothless. Twitter @aaronbruski

Sacramento Kings, Joe Maloof, Kevin Johnson, Gavin Malof 

Nick Monacelli: @KJ_MayorJohnson says local group offer for 7% will come in a few days. "No shop" prevents solicitation of offers, can still review them. Twitter

Sacramento Kings, Kevin Johnson