Sonics majority owner Clay Bennett is now saying that its not Oklahoma City that he is targeting as a new home for the Seattle franchise… its Las Vegas. I guess its a natural choice to move from one city famous for it precipitation levels to a city that is famous for its own kind of rain. Mario Lemieux pulled the same crap when he pretended to be shopping the Penguins to Sin City, and I think its less believable that NBA Commissioner David Stern would even think about allowing the Sonics to relocate to Vegas after the NBA All-Star Game debacle.

“He [Bennett] said, ‘I’d still like to get a deal done here, but we’re at a point where we have to start looking at other options,’” Kneeland said. The Sonics and Storm have a lease at KeyArena through 2010, but Bennett has said he may try to negotiate a way out of that deal after next season rather than play out the string.

Team spokesman Jim Kneeland said while no firm plans are in place, the team is “looking really hard right now” at Las Vegas, the Times reported. That follows the Washington state legislature’s rejection of public funding for a proposed $500 million arena in suburban Renton to replace KeyArena.

It’s apparantly not a matter of concern to Bennett that Stern has repeatedly stated that the only way an NBA franchise is going to be allowed in Las Vegas is if he gets to be the meat in an Erin Andrews - Dana Jacobson sandwich (aka Hell freezing over aka LV casinos banning betting on NBA games). So to me this is like Olde English malt liquor going into Disneyland to try and see if they can set up some vending machines… its a waste of friggin time and just like with the Pengiuns, its a sad charade that tells me that not only does Bennett know that Oklahoma City probably can’t sustain an NBA franchise long term, he also knows I know, and I know Seattleites know, and Seattleites know that Alf knows; so we’re all in the know. I guess Bennett is just trying to wiggle himself free of the vice grip the legislators have on his cash and prizes, as they damn well know he is under contract until 2010, and it does not look like they want to blink first:

“They already have a place to play. It’s nice. There are no potholes in the court there. Every player has health care. They all had the opportunity to go to college. Let’s get real here. If they want to do it, we’re not stopping them. They can pay for it themselves,” said Chopp, D-Seattle.

Those are some strong words from a guy I’ve never heard of before, damn strong. Look, there’s only three ways Bennett is getting out of the Key Arena Deal:

1. Pay a king’s ransom that would nearly equal the amount it would cost him to build
2. Watch Major League enough times until he figures out where the Indians’ owner Rachel Phelps erred and put this new strategery into plan
3. Win some friggin’ games!

• Sonics owner Bennett tells officials he’s eyeing Vegas (ESPN News Services)
• Owner floats idea of Las Vegas Sonics (Seattle Times)