NBA Commish Says Expansion Unlikely

HOUSTON (AP) — NBA Commissioner David Stern expects a concrete plan from Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson within the next two weeks, with the aim of settling the Kings' future by mid-April.  Johnson is trying to keep the Kings in his city rather than let them move to Seattle.Stern says Johnson will attend the April 17-18 owners meeting in New York to deliver his proposal, but Stern says that "if the mayor follows through on what he's told us, we'll have it comfortably by March 1." Speaking at an All-Star weekend event in Houston, Stern also says he doesn't currently see "a push for expansion" among owners, knocking down the idea that both cities could end up with teams. A Seattle group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer has reached an agreement to purchase the Kings and plans to move them.

Stern also reiterated this week his recent stance that expansion is unlikely, appearing to again put cold water on any hopes that both Seattle and Sacramento could end up with teams resulting from their current battle for the Kings. “I don’t think (expansion) is an option,” Stern said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle in advance of the NBA All-Star Game festivities in that city this weekend