Group wants to lure Sonics to Kansas City

Kansas City wants in on the Seattle SuperSonics.

Tim Leiweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group – which will manage the new downtown Sprint Center – was encouraged by comments from SuperSonics chairman Clay Bennett that he will consider the Kansas City market if his NBA club moves from Seattle.

“We’re talking to Clay, I’ll leave it at that,” Leiweke said after addressing the International Economic Development Council’s conference Tuesday at the Westin Crown Center.

“But let’s be honest, here. If that franchise does move, the odds-on favorite is Oklahoma City. That said, Kansas City is in that mix.”

Bennett, an Oklahoma City businessman, has been frustrated at Seattle’s inability to come up with a plan for a new arena to replace outdated Key Arena, the second-smallest facility in the NBA. The Sonics’ lease does not expire until 2010, but the franchise could opt out for $75 million after the 2007-08 season.

Lottery leaves West irked

Two long shots from the Pacific Northwest won the NBA draft lottery and the right to select can’t-miss picks Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.

The luck of the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics also left outgoing Memphis Grizzlies president Jerry West calling for the league to dump the weighted lottery system that rarely has helped the league’s worst team.

West was fuming after the Grizzlies, the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, the teams with the league’s three worst records, got the fourth, fifth and sixth choices in the June 28 draft in New York behind Portland, Seattle and Atlanta.

“It’s about as disappointing as you could ever hope for,” West said minutes after the lottery was announced at the NBA Entertainment Center. “It’s like pitching pennies. It’s grossly unfair to the team, but I’ve said it before, I don’t think the lottery is fair. I never liked it. I don’t think it’s a good system at all, period.”

Bobcats pick Vincent

The Charlotte Bobcats have chosen Dallas assistant Sam Vincent as their new coach, a person familiar with the search said.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not been made, told the AP that Vincent would be introduced at a news conference Friday.

Around the league

Brian Hill is out as the Orlando Magic’s coach after two consecutive losing seasons and a first-round sweep in this year’s playoffs, an official in the NBA said. Hill and the club were still negotiating his exit, and it was not clear whether he resigned or was fired. … The Minnesota Timberwolves made interim coach Randy Wittman their head coach – giving him a multiyear contract.