Sacramento or Seattle? Kings fate will be decided this week

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For the second time in three years, the Sacramento Kings will host their regular-season finale with the franchise's future uncertain. Hours before the Kings tipoff against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, NBA owners will gather in a New York boardroom to begin deliberating where the team will be located next season.

Sacramento or Seattle?

Nobody quite knows for sure.

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The Maloof family reached an agreement in January to sell a 65 percent controlling interest of the Kings to a group led by hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen at a total franchise valuation of $525 million, an NBA record. With pressure mounting from Sacramento's counteroffer to keep the team, Hansen announced last Friday he would ''voluntarily'' raise the purchase price to $550 million ''as a sign of our commitment to bring basketball back to our city.''

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If any vote is taken, Seattle needs 23 of 30 owners to approve the sale of the team to the Hansen group. If the sale is approved, a second vote will be largely ceremonial to decide whether the Kings can move to Seattle. A simple majority - 16 votes - is all that's needed to approve relocation.

Led by Mayor Kevin Johnson, Sacramento has fought back over the past three months to make the sale and relocation of the Kings a real debate. Johnson pushed a non-binding financing plan for a $447 million downtown arena through the City Council - complete with a $258 million public subsidy - and lined up an ownership group that can compete with the Seattle contingent.

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