In a sharply-worded letter to the Maloof family, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson told the Kings owners late tonight that a handshake agreement agreed upon for the financing of a new arena is not up for negotiation.
Read the letter here
Johnson is headed to New York to meet with the Maloofs and NBA officials, as the city's arena deal remains a focus of the league's annual owners' meeting. The Maloof family has said it has concerns with aspects of a deal agreed upon in February in Orlando, Fla.
But the mayor said the city isn't budging on that deal, which was hammered out with the help of NBA Commissioner David Stern.
"Under no circumstances will the City make material adjustments to the current terms of the deal. Put simply, we have done our part," the mayor wrote. "We are 100% committed to moving forward under the framework laid out in the term sheet."
The mayor also said that "any representation that a deal was not reached (during All-Star weekend in Orlando, Fla.) is simply not consistent with the perspective of every other party to the negotiation nor the actual statements of the (Maloof) family."
"In light of these facts, the ball is in your court," the mayor wrote.
"We take you at your word that you are committed to Sacramento as you've said repeatedly in recent weeks," Johnson continued. "The best - and only - way to demonstrate that commitment is to honor the "fair deal" as all other parties have done. Your handshake is your handshake. Your promise is your promise."
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