Watch the video above. This is what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer — and frankly, the rest of the Seattle sports community — is probably doing right now.
Why? The NBA is reportedly coming back to the Emerald City thanks to an investment group that includes Ballmer.
Respected Yahoo! Sports NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski is Tweeting today that the The Maloof brothers, owners of the Sacramento Kings, are finalizing an agreement to sell the Kings to the Seattle investment group led by Seattle investor Chris Hansen.
The Maloofs are finalizing an agreement to sell the Sacramento Kings to the Hansen-Ballmer led Seattle group, sources tell Yahoo! Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) January 9, 2013
Wojrnarowski reports that the deal will sell the Kings for approximately $500 million, with the Seattle group having the team play two seasons at Key Arena beginning next October and then relocating to the proposed new $490 million arena in the SoDo district. Plans to build arena were approved by the City Council and the King County Council last October.
No agreement signed, but one source describes deal as "1st and goal at 1." Maloofs history of changing course late still makes many uneasy.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) January 9, 2013
It’s not quite completely official, but this sure sounds about 95-percent to being a done deal. Still, there is a chance it could fall through knowing the Maloofs:
The deal is not final yet, Maloofs have tendency to falter… as we all know too well.
— Seattle Arena Plan (@ArenaSeattle) January 9, 2013
And there’s also this:
Keep in mind…#Seattle has an EIS process, lawsuit…& potential hurdles to a deal. It still needs NBA ownership approval… #seattlearena
— Chris Daniels (@ChrisDaniels5) January 9, 2013
Reports came out in June that Ballmer was part of the investment group led by Hansen. It’s not surprising: Ballmer was a regular at Sonics games before the team departed for Oklahoma City in 2008 and also was part of another investment group that tried to keep the team here. Seattle has been without a team since then.
The group also includes Erik and Peter Nordstrom, part of a family that owned the Seahawks from 1976-1988.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen also has NBA ties, as he’s owned the Portland Trail Blazers since 1988. Allen also owns the Seattle Seahawks and is a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders. Another tech company — Nintendo of America — owns the Seattle Mariners.
Update, 1:30 p.m.: As reported, the deal is not quite there yet. There is this Tweet from a Sacramento TV station reporting that the Maloof brothers rejected the deal:
Source: Seattle groups offer was rejected by Maloofs. Hmmm. Plot thickening by the minute.
— stevelarge (@largesteven) January 9, 2013
To which Seattle radio host Mitch Levy responded with:
This report is BS. RT @bcondotta: A Sacramento TV station reporting Maloofs rejected the Seattle deal
— mitch levy (@kjrmitch) January 9, 2013
And there’s this from KJR radio colleague Ian Furness:
Everyone taking to their #NBA sources today.. me too. Lots of info out there points to the same thing. The reports from @WojYahooNBA r true
— Ian Furness (@IanFurnessSea) January 9, 2013
So there’s that. Aaron Bruski over at NBC Sports has a nice breakdown of the hurdles Hansen and Co. must jump over to make this deal happen.
Update, 3:50 p.m.: Sacramento mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson spoke with the media just now, reassuring fans that the city is going to do what it can to keep the team in Sac-town.
#Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson says he'll do whatever he can to try to put together an ownership group to keep the #Kings in Sacramento
— Jessamyn McIntyre (@JessamynMcIntyr) January 9, 2013
Previously on GeekWire: Video: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer crashes CES keynote