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Stern: Rockets move probable
Posted: Saturday February 12, 2000 09:05 PM
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The Houston Rockets are certain to move to a new city if they don't get a new arena by 2003, NBA commissioner David Stern said Saturday. In his annual All-Star game news conference, Stern did not mince words when discussing the uncertain future of the Rockets. Voters in Houston turned down a referendum last fall to publicly finance half of the cost of a new building. "As far as them moving, it's more than probable, it's certain that the team will be relocated" if plans are not in place for a new arena by the time the Rockets' lease at the Compaq Center expires following the 2002-03 season, Stern said. Stern also disclosed that the NBA had reached agreement with its referees on a new four-year collective bargaining agreement that kicks in next season. Officials will receive raises of roughly 10 percent per season, a league attorney said. Also, the league ruled that Dennis Rodman will have to move out of the guest house he is renting from prospective Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Rodman had agreed to pay Cuban $3,000 per month for use of the house, but the league ruled it to be a violation of salary cap rules. Rodman signed with Dallas earlier this month and played his first game last Wednesday. "It was a fairly innocent error," deputy commissioner Russ Granik said, "under the assumption that as long as it was a fair rental, it wasn't a benefit under the salary cap. But we don't want to get into deciding in every case is it fair, is it not fair, is it the right value. Those kinds of arrangements are just prohibited. So I think in due course Mr. Rodman will be moving out." "That would be Tuesday," Stern said. When the Rockets' arena referendum failed by a 54-46 margin last November, Stern said the team had his blessing to move. It is expected, however, that some sort of another arena referendum will be put to a vote in the next three years before the lease expires. There has been talk in Houston that another team, perhaps an expansion team, could be brought in to replace the Rockets if they move. But Stern poured cold water on that line of reasoning. "The chances for an expansion team going to Houston are nonexistent, and the chances for a relocation in the face of all the new arenas (in other cities) seems to be highly problematic," Stern said. "NBA owners are not going to be an impediment to a Houston move at such time as their lease is over, because by then every single NBA team will be in a renovated or new building and their building will not be adequate for the NBA."
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