Seattle Times / Courtesy of Judge Marsha Pechman

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman.

OKLAHOMA CITY - The federal judge in the court battle between the city of Seattle and owners of the SuperSonics won't say how she would have ruled.

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman was set to announce her decision last Wednesday, but on that day the two sides announced they had reached a settlement allowing the NBA club to relocate to Oklahoma City without delay.

The Oklahoman newspaper left a message asking the judge asking how she would have ruled had there not been a settlement. Pechman replied through a law clerk that she would not answer that question.

Seattle had sued the Sonics to try to enforce the remaining two years of the Sonics' lease to play at Key Arena.

With the settlement, Pechman's ruling became moot.