First hearing set for Seattle, Sonics

SEATTLE – The first court hearing has been set in the case between the city of Seattle and the NBA’s SuperSonics.

The team and the city will appear Thursday before U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez. The case’s initial hearing had been set for last Wednesday, but the city’s suit against the team was moved from state court to federal court at the Sonics’ request.

Martinez scheduled the hearing to begin determining if the case should remain in federal court or be settled by a panel of arbitrators.

The parties are disputing if the team’s Oklahoma City-based ownership group, led by businessman Clay Bennett, can buy out the remainder of the Sonics’ lease at KeyArena, which expires in 2010. The city says the team should not be allowed to do so.