NBA Rumors: Seattle's Hopes of Bringing NBA Back Takes a Huge Hit

The newfound hope for a sudden return of the professional basketball to Seattle has dissolved as quickly as it appeared.

And the roller coaster continues for the city that was savagely stripped of its NBA franchise.

Seattle basketball fans were on cloud nine after unexpected news of the real possibility of a new arena started to become public. All they need is a hockey and basketball team to move there.

All eyes immediately turned to the Kings since they were on extremely shaky ground in Sacramento. They would likely be leaving town if they didn't find a way to build a new arena. And if that didn't work, fans had the fallback target of the NBA-owned New Orleans Hornets. The league would only hold onto that franchise for so long before allowing someone to buy it and move it out of town. 

Flash-forward a bit, and all of a sudden neither of these teams seems to be going anywhere. 

The hits to Seattle's NBA hopes

Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune explains why the Hornets won't be calling any place, but New Orleans, home:

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A group led by Los Angeles-area businessman Raj Bhathal, who founded one of the country’s leading swimwear manufacturing companies, has emerged as a top candidate to purchase the New Orleans Hornets from the NBA, sources said Thursday. The group includes Larry J. Benson, brother of Saints owner Tom Benson and former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy.

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Translation: Cross the Hornets off the list of potential new Sonics.

Barring something wildly unforeseen, the Kings won't be going anywhere either. 

Ryan Lillis, Dale Kasler and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee expand on that. 

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The city of Sacramento and the Kings announced a tentative deal today to build a new arena in the downtown railyard.More than half the money would come from leasing the city's parking to a private operator, but the team's owners say they've also agreed to pay $75 million upfront.

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...And you can cross the Kings off the list.

This is a huge blow for the Seattle's hopes of bringing the NBA back anytime in the near future. 

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times puts that into perspective. 

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The Kings and Hornets had been regarded as the two most likely candidates for immediate relocation.

The commissioner also reiterated that the NBA has no plans to expand in North America.

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So with the Kings and Hornets off the market, and no expansion plans, where does Seattle turn its lonely eyes?

Speculating on the next franchise

There is not another team that appears on the verge of leaving. The only silver lining for Seattle fans is that they know better than anyone that teams can unexpectedly become available. 

This is pure speculation, but a good team for Seattle fans to keep an eye on is the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The Bucks are currently 25th in attendance. They also play in the outdated Bradley Center—a building that was opened in 1988. In today's NBA terms that is ancient. There are also no plans to build a new building, and renovations also appear to be out of the question. 

Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl is the current owner of the Bucks. There is not a scenario that would cause him to move the team from Milwaukee. However, he is now 77 and in possession of a team with waning public support.  

With falling attendance, declining interest and an outdated building, Kohl may decide to rid himself of the Bucks as he advances in years. 

After the new turn of events, Seattle is left to wild speculation like that to attach its hoop dreams.