Gregoire asks for relocation vote delay

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire asked the NBA on Tuesday to delay a vote scheduled later this week on whether the Seattle SuperSonics can move to Oklahoma City, as news surfaced of former team owner Howard Schultz’s intent to sue the current ownership group.

In a letter to NBA Commissioner David Stern and NBA team owners, Gregoire said the Sonics’ Oklahoma City owners apparently weren’t acting in good faith while trying to get an arena deal in Seattle.

That comment refers to recently disclosed e-mails that showed Sonics owners discussing whether they could leave Seattle, even before a good-faith deadline for pursuing a Seattle arena had been reached.

The letter is also signed by other top Washington state political leaders.

“We, therefore, respectfully request that you remove the relocation issue from your agenda until the many complicated legal and financial matters can be worked out,” the letter said “In any event, we ask that relocation be rejected or in the alternative that no decision be made at this time on relocation of our team. We recognize that these decisions are difficult but we believe Seattle’s significant history in the NBA and its strategic position in the global marketplace are worthy of your serious consideration as you move forward.”

Gregoire’s letter came as a lawyer for Starbucks Corp. Chairman and CEO Schultz, the former Sonics owner, said he is preparing a lawsuit against the new owners.

Richard Yarmuth of the law firm Yarmuth Wilsdon Calfo, told the Seattle Times and Post-Intelligencer late Monday night that Schultz is preparing a lawsuit because new owner Clay Bennett has not fulfilled his promise to make a good-faith effort to keep the team in Seattle.

Yarmuth told the Times he intends to file suit in the next two weeks.

Bennett’s spokesman Dan Mahoney did not return messages seeking comment.

The NBA board of governors is scheduled to vote Friday on Bennett’s proposed relocation of the Sonics to Oklahoma City. A subcommittee of three owners recently visited Oklahoma City and recommended approval.