An under-the-radar story in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns and their local political leaders are currently in a battle regarding Talking Stick Arena.
The Suns have been attempting to upgrade the venue over the past several years and are now asking for $150,000 from the city to do just that.
Unfortunately for the Suns, it doesn’t seem like they have the votes in the city council. If not, owner Robert Sarver is threatening to relocate the franchise to either Las Vegas or Seattle.
“Whether they get a continuance or not could mark the beginning of a showdown between the city and Suns owner Robert Sarver, who is telling some council members that he will take the team to Seattle or Las Vegas,” Laurie Roberts of AZ Central reported on Wednesday.
This could very well be a major power play from Sarver. He knows full well that the NBA has its sights set on both Las Vegas and Seattle for new teams. If the Association can avoid expanding to 32 teams, that would make a ton of sense.
The Suns’ relationship with Phoenix has been questionable over the past several years. Sarver’s threat to relocate the team will only add to this. It also goes without saying that both Vegas and Seattle are viable markets for an NBA team.