5 NBA Franchises That Would Be Better off in Seattle
There have been constant rumors of late about the NBA possibly returning to Seattle.
David Stern's decision to take the Supersonics out of Seattle worked out great for fans in Oklahoma City, but it robbed a good fanbase in Seattle of over 40 years of tradition.
There are a few current NBA franchises that would probably benefit from a move to Seattle, mostly based on failed attendance and failure on the court.
Here's a look at a few of those.
Sacramento Kings
1 of 5The Sacramento Kings have been one team rumored to be heading to Seattle, but that took a big hit recently as it looks like the NBA is close to approving a deal for a new downtown arena.
As far as why they would be a candidate for relocation, they draw only 14,924 fans per night, but a new arena could potentially solve that problem.
Then there's the lack of success on the court.
Sacramento had a brief run of success with Mike Bibby and Chris Webber, but that's about it.
They have a very low payroll and whether they get a new arena or are a candidate to move, the Kings are in a good spot to start over.
New Orleans Hornets
2 of 5The Hornets don't have an owner and are being run by the NBA. While commissioner David Stern would love to keep the team in New Orleans, if the right situation came along and he could sell the franchise, Seattle would be an ideal location.
They aren't very good on the floor and struggle to bring in fans, with the fifth-lowest attendance in the NBA at only 14,302 per home game.
Milwaukee Bucks
3 of 5The Bucks have been nothing more then mediocre for what seems like forever now and it doesn't seem like things are going to get better any time in the near future.
They are 25th in the NBA in attendance at 14,763, so the fans aren't showing up to watch this team.
Milwaukee has a lot of work to do rebuild its once-proud franchise, but if Seattle were an option, they have a star in the making in point guard Brandon Jennings that certainly could be marketed wisely to begin a new franchise.
Charlotte Bobcats
4 of 5The Bobcats have a different story to tell.
They draw pretty well (16,823) and have a beautiful downtown arena that's one of the newer buildings in the NBA.
They need new ownership that will put new basketball people in charge of decision making. Michael Jordan and company aren't helping this franchise get to where it needs to be.
If heading to Seattle will accomplish that, then it could be the right move for the NBA.
Atlanta Hawks
5 of 5It's a shame that the Hawks, playing in a major market, have been unable to draw fans.
Even with a good team, they rank only 22nd in the NBA in attendance (15,190). They've been poor at the box office for years, but would draw great in Seattle.
They were almost sold to California developer and pizza chain owner Alex Meruelo a year ago, but were taken off the market.
It would be hard to fathom the NBA not in the Atlanta market, but eventually they will have to draw much better.
