Judge weighs Sonics’ KeyArena lease

Lawyers for the Seattle SuperSonics and the city of Seattle argued before a federal judge Thursday about whether the dispute over the team’s lease at KeyArena should be resolved in court or in arbitration.

The arguments were technical and revolved around competing sections of the lease agreement. One says that the length of the lease is not subject to arbitration. The other says only the Sonics can go to court over the contract.

The dispute is over whether the Sonics can buy their way out of the lease scheduled to end in 2010 and move the team.

Seattle City Attorney Tom Carr said he wants the case handled by a judge rather than by arbitrators because judges make decisions and arbitrators reach compromises.

U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said he would rule as quickly as possible.

Sonics chairman Clay Bennett, stymied in his quest for public funding to build a new arena, issued a demand for arbitration last month. In response, the city sued, trying to force the Sonics to honor the terms of a deal reached in the mid-1990s: In exchange for $74 million in renovations to the old Seattle Coliseum, the team agreed to play all of its home games there through Sept. 30, 2010.

“Kobe Bryant scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 126-106 exhibition win over the Sonics in Bakersfield, Calif. Rookie Kevin Durant scored 19 for Seattle.

Around the league

A former NBA player wanted on drug and weapons charges in Illinois was arrested in Splendora, Texas, when U.S. marshals stopped him aboard a commercial bus heading out of Houston. Keon Clark, who last played for the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, was scheduled for trial in August 2006 in Vermilion County in Illinois for possession of marijuana, two counts of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of firearm possession. … Carlos Arroyo scored 25 points to help the Orlando Magic beat the China All-Stars 116-92 in an exhibition game in Macau, China. Magic center Dwight Howard scored 12 points in 13 minutes. He said the team was tired after traveling by bus and plane to Macau from Shanghai, where the Magic beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in an exhibition game Wednesday. … Authorities are investigating allegations that Sacramento Kings player Justin Williams sexually assaulted a female acquaintance, a Sacramento Police Department spokesman said.