Yakima's basketball future may be in D-League

It has been three months since the Yakama Nation pulled the plug on its ownership of the Yakama Sun Kings and handed the franchise back to the Continental Basketball Association.

Unfortunately, there may be no league to receive it, since the CBA continues to struggle mightily to stay in business. And that raises an interesting situation for the future -- if there is one -- of a Yakima-based professional basketball franchise. We would like to think that new owners can be found who will petition for entry into the higher-caliber National Basketball Association Development League

The D-League, as it's called, has seemingly put the CBA on a fast track to irrelevance, if not oblivion. While the nation's oldest professional league has at least one foot in the grave, the development league continues to grow.

Last month, D-League officials announced two new entries -- Erie, Pa., and Reno, Nev. -- for the upcoming season, bringing the league to 16 teams. The 2008-09 season will be the first in which each D-League team is affiliated with a maximum of two NBA teams.

The fact the development league was making inroads into the CBA in the recent past was probably as good an indicator as any that it was here to stay.

The D-League began with the 2001-02 season with eight teams. In April 2006, the league announced that four teams from the CBA would join: Dakota Wizards, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede and the Colorado 14ers, a team that had been slated to be a CBA expansion franchise.

The CBA, on the other hand, may have at most six returning teams next season: Lawton-Fort Sill, Okla.; Albany, N.Y.; Minot, N.D.; East Kentucky; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Rio Grande Valley. You'll notice the lack of Northwest representation, which would make for some serious scheduling and travel considerations if somehow Yakima were to rejoin.

We have always considered the Sun Kings an important community asset. As things are sorted out, we do hope that somehow a way will be found to keep professional basketball in the SunDome.

But we're not going to hold our breath waiting for a CBA resurgence or a Yakima presence in its lineup of teams. That's a shame, but it's also facing reality. Even if the Sun Kings do find new owners, we don't see much of a future in a league that is constantly on the financial gang plank.

As options are explored, let's hope the NBA D-League is among them. The future there is plenty bright and we would certainly like to see Yakima and the SunDome part of the action.

* Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.

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