Sonics Minority Owner Says Team Destined For Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A minority owner of the Sonics says the group of Oklahoma City businessmen didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle. <br/><br/>Aubrey McClendon told the Journal Record paper in

Monday, August 13th 2007, 9:22 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A minority owner of the Sonics says the group of Oklahoma City businessmen didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle.

Aubrey McClendon told the Journal Record paper in Oklahoma City he knows the NBA franchise would make more money in Seattle, but if the city doesn't help build a new arena the team will move.

Majority owner Clay Bennett has set an October 31st deadline to file papers to start moving the team, although the Sonics' lease with Seattle's Key Arena runs into 2010. State lawmakers have declined to commit Washington taxpayers to help build an arena that would cost about $500 million.

McClendon told the Journal Record the Seattle leadership has 60 days to make some decisions, and if they don't meet Bennett's requirements the Sonics may be headed for Oklahoma.