The following is a statement from Seattle Sonics & Storm Chairman Clay Bennett regarding possible relocation cities of the franchise.

“We have made it clear that we want to succeed in Seattle and we are still exploring all of our options there. We have a responsibility to the business to weigh every possibility to ensure we make prudent business decisions based on the long-term economic upside.”

“If, however, we find ourselves several months down the road in a position to begin a serious evaluation to find the best location for our two teams, we owe it to the business to consider a number of cities where the leadership has expressed a strong desire to attract an NBA and WNBA franchise and demonstrated a willingness to explore ways to make that happen.”

“Of course, we know Oklahoma City and we know what this remarkable marketplace can do based on the way it exceeded all expectations over the past two years. We have said all along, as has NBA Commissioner David Stern, Oklahoma City deserves an NBA team, and, we would add, a WNBA team.”

At this time no one knows the confluence of events that could occur to land the teams in Oklahoma City. At this moment, everything is way too premature. While it looks bleak in Seattle, we are not ready to throw in the towel.”