Clippers prepare to move out of Staples Center, build new stadium in Inglewood

The City of Inglewood will vote Wednesday to give exclusive rights to the Los Angeles Clippers to build a new stadium for the team, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Brad Turner. The decision would move the Clippers out of Staples Center.

There is no timetable yet for when the building would be completed, and the Clippers’ lease with Staples Center runs through 2024.

Since Staples Center opened in 1999, the Clippers have shared it with the Lakers. However, you could say the move has put them even further under the Lakers’ shadow, something that’s impossible to avoid when sharing a city with the most storied franchise in NBA history.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will reportedly fund the arena with his own money, according to Turner. It would be a “state of the art” development with 18,000 to 20,000 seats for fans. The property is across the street from the Los Angeles Rams’ 298-acre stadium development, which is planned to open in 2020 and will host the 2022 Super Bowl.

You can read the Inglewood city council agenda here.

A spokesman for The Forum, the famous arena that used to house the Lakers, criticized the city for “backroom dealing” to get the Clippers’ new arena proposal on the table.

“There may be a path forward, but not without a real public process that is done in the full light of day with the participation of Inglewood’s residents and many other stakeholders,” the statement reads.