The move comes on the heels of an announcement by the ABA's only other team in the Pacific Northwest, the Bellingham Slam, that they would be withdrawing from the ABA and joining the International Basketball League. Without Bellingham on their schedule, the Royals' closest ABA opponent would have been located over 750 miles away in Sacramento. In addition, with IBL franchises already present in Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma, a move to the IBL was not possible.