I think the issue is that the business/corporate base in Sacramento just does not compare to what other, bigger cities can draw from. This is kind of a big deal when you need to generate the kind of revenue necessary to entice a great free agent to come live in Sacramento over taking a little less to play in Chicago or LA.

It’s one of the reasons San Diego is never brought up as a possible destination for the NBA: not a great base of potential sponsors and suite-buyers.