The latest word on the possibility of a new NBA team in Newark comes from Stefan Bondy who writes that Newark Cory Booker and Shaquille O'Neal "have spoken several times about the subject and are in the process of arranging a meeting with the league". We've heard about Shaq's interest for years, but he's never committed a dime.
However, one "obstacle" cited by Bondy isn't actually an impediment at all. He writes that the Nets "don’t want a team just 13 miles away from the Barclays Center so soon after their own transition". They almost certainly don't but they are powerless to do anything about it.
As was reported early in 2010 when the Nets broke their lease at the IZOD Center, the Nets made a "major concession" to the State of New Jersey. They agreed to amend their territorial rights and not stand in the way of another NBA club coming to New Jersey. The Knicks, on the other hand, did not waive any rights. As Mike Ozanian of Forbes wrote last July, "any NBA team coming to Newark would have to pay a rich fee to the New York Knicks for invading their market. Experts say the fee could be at least $100 million."
- Nets and Deron Williams ready to move home from Prudential Center to Barclays Center - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
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Shaq, Newark Mayor Looking To Replace Nets In New Jersey - Tom Ziller - SB Nation