Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Seattle Supersonics basketball team is moving to Oklahoma City.  But the settlement reached Wednesday gives incentives for Seattle to host another NBA team down the road.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels says there are no guarantees, but under the deal, the NBA has endorsed a renovated Key Arena at the Seattle Center as a good venue.

Greg Nickels: "We then have a committed local ownership, we have a facility the NBA has approved, and we have the 13th largest market in America. So I think we have the ingredients there that will make us successful."

Seattle had sued to stop the team from leaving Key Arena two years early.

Sonics owner Clay Bennet will pay the city $45 million to break the Key Arena lease. Then in five years he'll pay another $30 million only if Seattle is still not home to another NBA team.