The NBA emphasized the transaction is subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors.

WSJ: Seattle Hopes for Boost In Pro-Team Franchise

The committee made the decision over a conference call and forwarded the recommendation to the NBA Board of Governors.

NPR: NBA Committee Recommends Rejecting Kings Move

The deal is still pending approval from the NBA Board of Governors.

WSJ: Sacramento Kings Moving to Seattle to Become Reborn SuperSonics

Pending approval from the NBA Board of Governors, the team would move to Seattle and play its first season as the SuperSonics this fall.

FORBES: The Sacramento Kings' Departure From Hypertaxed California Signals Return Of The Seattle SuperSonics

The NBA Board of Governors is expected to follow the recommendation by the relocation committee, coincidentally headed by Thunder owner Clay Bennett, already a reviled figure in Seattle.

NPR: NBA Committee Recommends Rejecting Kings Move

Johnson made a pitch to the NBA Board of Governors in April 2011, promising league owners the city would find a way to help finance a new arena to replace the team's current outdated suburban facility.

WSJ: Sacramento Kings Moving to Seattle to Become Reborn SuperSonics

About two weeks after rejecting a sales bid that would have had the team moving 750 miles north to Washington state, the NBA board of governors on Tuesday approved the Kings' sale to a local ownership group helmed by Vivek Ranadive.

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The group filed relocation papers with the NBA, expecting to vote on the sale and relocation at its April Board of Governors meeting.

FORBES: Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson Says 'No Way' On Kings' Move To Seattle