Sonics Owner Rules Out Future At Key Arena

SEATTLE (AP) -- Sonics owner Clay Bennett says Key Arena is not an option for the future home of the team.<br/><br/>And if that's all Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has in mind, then Bennett says they

Thursday, August 2nd 2007, 5:07 pm

By: News On 6

SEATTLE (AP) -- Sonics owner Clay Bennett says Key Arena is not an option for the future home of the team.

And if that's all Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has in mind, then Bennett says they have nothing to talk about.

In a statement Thursday, Bennett says he's hoping elected officials and other leaders will help build a new basketball arena.

Bennett says he's made it clear since he bought the Sonics a year ago that the arena at the Seattle Center was outdated as the home of the NBA franchise and the WNBA Storm.

The last session of the Legislature declined to offer tax dollars to help build a new arena.

Bennett issued a "call to action" last month asking for offers to help save the team. Nickels said yesterday that if the Sonics were willing to put $100 million into a new arena or the Key Arena, then the city might be able to match it.

Bennett has set an October 31st deadline for an agreement on a new arena or he'll start the process of moving the Sonics to another city.