Wherever the Arizona Coyotes end up, it doesn’t sound like it’ll be back downtown as co-tenants with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.
Suns owner Robert Sarver was asked recently about his plans to replace Talking Stick Resort Arena, where the basketball team currently plays and the Coyotes used to.
“Eventually, we will need one in order to be competitive in the league,” Sarver told the Arizona Republic. “We have an out in five years if it’s deemed to be obsolete and not competitive enough. So as we get closer to that period, that will be more evident as to what direction we’re going. But we’re - at some point - going to need a modern, Class A arena to play basketball here in Phoenix, which is what we’re going to do.”
So, basically, the Suns will need a new arena eventually, but, for now, they’re fine where they are.
The Coyotes’ needs are more pressing, as their lease in Glendale expires after next season. The team has targeted the end of the current regular season to announce its plans.
According to ABC 15 in Phoenix, the “two likeliest scenarios” are a “joint arena in Tempe with the Arizona State University hockey team” and an “arena within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale.”
ABC 15, citing sources, notes that “the Suns and Coyotes have struggled to reach agreeable terms” on an arena deal.