Report: Former Sonics owner to sue to get team back

By Sports Network | The Sports Network • Published April 15, 2008

Former Seattle SuperSonics owner Howard Schultz is reportedly planning to sue the current ownership to get the team back, on the basis that the new owners violated the sale contract by not making a good-faith effort to keep the Sonics in Seattle.

The Seattle Times reported Tuesday that Schultz has hired a lawyer, Seattle- based attorney Richard Yarmuth, and that Yarmuth plans to sue the current Sonics ownership group, Professional Basketball Club LLC, led by Clay Bennett, in the next two weeks. Bennett and his ownership group plan to move the club to Oklahoma City.

Yarmuth told the Times that Schultz will not be suing for monetary damage, that the lawsuit will seek to rescind the July 2006 sale based on the fact that Professional Basketball Club always planned to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City. According to the Times, when Bennett purchased the Sonics and its sister franchise in the WNBA, the Storm, for $350 million, he agreed to make a good-faith effort to keep the clubs in Seattle.

Bennett and Company are already in the midst of a lawsuit with the city of Seattle, which is seeking to force the owners to honor the final two years of their lease on KeyArena. E-mails between Bennett and his co-owners were released last week showing that, two weeks after the sale, they were discussing moving to Oklahoma City as soon as possible.

NBA owners will vote on the proposed move of the Sonics to Oklahoma City in New York on Friday. A subcommittee has recommended approval.