Sacramento Kings Might Have New Billionaire Buyer

We may have been premature in saying last night's game at Arco Arena was the Kings' last in Sacramento.

Mayor Kevin Johnson tweeted on Thursday that the city may be receiving help to keep their beloved basketball team.

Burkle, who is worth more than $3 billion is a co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The NBA can't force the Maloofs, who currently own the Kings, to sell. But the league can force them to take on another partner and keep the team in Sacramento. Johnson went to New York to pitch Burkle to the league as a potential franchise savior.

That may have been part of the reason George Maloof was reportedly "somber-looking" after making a pitch to the NBA's Board of Governors. According to the Sacramento Bee, Maloof said that nothing's done yet.

"Nothing is a sure thing until it is voted on," he said. He said the Maloofs plan to talk with their fellow NBA owners again Friday.

While the Lakers and Clippers have been against the move from the start, it looked as though the Maloofs might have the rest of the league's owners line up with them to approve it. But reports have surfaced in recent days that there may not be as much support for the move as originally suspected.

So it looks like there may still be life left in the saga of the Sacramento Kings. With still raw wounds in Seattle being recently reopened, the NBA may want to avoid a similarly nasty breakup in another of its long devoted markets.

(H/T Jose3030 and Business Insider)