Dime: Kansas City deserves an NBA team

Don’t get too excited. The future looks like nothing but exhibition games (basketball and hockey) at the Sprint Center.

But basketball magazine/Web site Dime lists nine cities that deserve NBA franchises, and yeah, Kansas City made the list.

Here’s what Dime says are the pros and cons of pro hoops returning to KC:

Pros: Decades ago, Kansas City was home for Kings. The city is also home to two major sports franchises in the Royals and Chiefs. Seems like every time a team is relocating, Kansas City is discussed amongst the potential candidates.

Cons: With the [Oklahoma City] Thunder, the NBA just awarded a franchise to a Midwestern city. I think Stern would probably prefer a bigger market next time a relocation opportunity comes up.

Other, better candidates made the list, namely Seattle. For this year, we’ll have to settle for Michael Beasley and the Miami Heat (if Beasley is out of rehab) taking on Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets in a one-off.