Memphis probably doesn’t have to worry about losing its Grizzlies

When word leaked that Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison was in talks to purchase the Memphis Grizzlies, the immediate reaction was a positive one, considering that decade-long Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has been sometimes hesitant to spend huge gobs of cash on his team; though he has gone into luxury tax territory a few times. Then the follow-up hit: Ellison is from northern California, and after his attempts to buy the Golden State Warriors were outbid, he might be looking to take the Grizz to a waiting NBA-ready arena in San Jose. Uh oh. Memphis residents needn't be worried, as it turns out. Ellison certainly has the cash in hand to buy the Grizzlies, but he'd have to toss out a whole lot more in order to purchase the team and move them to California, mainly because of rather strident lease laws the city of Memphis smartly put on the Grizzlies. Once you factor in the NBA's relocation fees, and the actual price of the team, it could cost Ellison up to $600 million to purchase and move the Grizz; and even with that there's no guarantee that a local court would allow the move, should Memphis put up a fight. All this is from a perfectly-tuned piece written by the Memphis...