Chris Hansen on Friday announced his new bid for the Sacramento Kings is $625 million, up from $550 million, which was up from $525 million. (My favorite part as an obvious Sacramento partisan: in the announcement, Hansen says his group "voluntarily" increased the bid. Oh, how generous! It couldn't possibly have anything to do with your bid being in its death throes, now could it?)

There are any number of reasons for Hansen to do this. He could think owners will second-guess the committee's recommendation. He could think it will embolden the Maloofs to refuse to sell for a lower price to Sacramento, or even sue on anti-trust grounds. Or he could think the massive number being thrown out will be so glittery for team owners that they'll have no choice but to fall all over themselves to add him and Steve Ballmer to their club.

If the NBA accepts Hansen's bid and Sacramento doesn't match, there's no guarantee the next relocation-ready small market team gets offered $625 million. Because the only guy crazy enough to offer $625 million would already have a team! If you keep him from getting a team, chances are he remains insane enough to go after another. So for owners of teams considered to be potential future Hansen targets, it may be in their best interest to keep Hansen on the prowl.

We don't know what the NBA's going to do. David Stern could offer a hint as to what he thinks about this move in the next couple days, or we could go into Wednesday with no clue. Just another hill on the roller coaster that is this saga.

(All that said: Herb Kohl and Glen Taylor are decent men who would never do to their cities what the Maloofs are doing to Sacramento.)