Sonics decision next week

SEATTLE – The SuperSonics rested their case to move to Oklahoma City atop a comical drawing of a brain.

Sonics lawyer Brad Keller enlivened closing arguments Thursday in the trial over whether the Sonics will move now or stay for the final two years of their lease in KeyArena. He asked how former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton could have been involved in a plan to inflict financial harm on Sonics owner Clay Bennett and force him to sell the team to local investors without telling Seattle’s top leaders.

City officials hired Gorton to lead their effort to keep Seattle’s oldest professional sports team in town.

Amid chuckles inside an otherwise tense courtroom, Keller displayed an electronic drawing of a human silhouette with a brain inside the skull. The left side of the brain, in green, was labeled “City’s litigation lawyers” and the blue, right side was labeled “Griffin Group’s lawyers.” The so-called Griffin Group hatched the plan to try to force Bennett to sell the team.

“Are we to assume the left side wasn’t talking to the right side?” Keller asked. “That defies logic. That defies common sense.”

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman smiled as she viewed the brain drawing on a monitor.

As the six-day trial concluded, Pechman said she will post a written decision next Wednesday afternoon.

The team is accusing Seattle officials of having “unclean hands” from inappropriately trying to drain the finances of team owners and want Pechman to ignore the city’s argument that the team must honor the specific performance clause.

The Sonics contend the city had to have been aware of Gorton’s “Machiavellian plan,” and thus should not be entitled to specific performance.