Mar. 26--After touring the Ford Center and viewing a presentation by city leaders and the Oklahoma City-based ownership group of the Seattle SuperSonics, NBA Commissioner David Stern said he expects the subcommittee to recommend approval of the Sonics' request to move to Oklahoma City.

"It was a pretty full presentation and pretty much a tour de force on behalf of Oklahoma that I'd say impressed the members of the committee greatly," Stern said.

New Jersey Nets co-owner Lewis Katz, one of three team owners and a team executive who visited as members of the subcommittee, said there is no question Oklahoma City will soon be joining the NBA.

"There's no question in my mind that they're coming. It's just a question of when," Katz said.

One part of the "when" question will be determined next month when the NBA's full Board of Governors votes on the relocation proposal, based on the subcommittee's recommendation. The other hang-up is the ongoing lawsuit between the Sonics and the city of Seattle. If the city wins that case and enforces its lease, the team will remain in the Northwest until 2010.

"We made important progress today," said Clay Bennett, who leads the Sonics ownership group. "A lot more to be done, but a very important step. I think it was a very successful day and we look forward to the next step."

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