On August 5, 1985 the CBA held an expansion draft for the Sizzlers. The 13 other CBA franchises were able to protect five of the 13 players on their rosters. Bill Ficke was hired to be the Sizzlers head coach from the 1985–86 season. By November 1985 the Sizzlers had sold over 1,400 season tickets according to "The Sacramento Bee". The "Los Angeles Daily News" reported that Kansas City was acting as the Los Angeles Lakers farm team. After the Lakers cut center Earl Jones, head coach Pat Riley told the "Daily News" that if Earl cleared waivers then he would sign with the Sizzlers "where he can keep a hand in with us". The Sizzlers' home opener in December 1985 at Municipal Auditorium drew an attendance of 7,012, which at the time was the seventh largest crowd in CBA history. After nine home games the Sizzlers were averaging an attendance of 3,186, which was second in the CBA. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) filed a lawsuit against Sizzlers owner Bernard Glannon in January 1986 for his alleged delinquent payment on a loan for his defunct venture, the Indian Springs State Bank, which was eventually revealed to have dealings with organized crime members. Glannon claimed that the FDIC had only filed the lawsuit on his behest to settle. During a game on January 8, 1986 Danny Salisbery of the Detroit Spirits made a CBA record 70-foot shot to beat the third quarter buzzer against Kansas City. On January 9, 1986 the Sizzlers acquired center Petur Gudmundsson from the Tampa Bay Thrillers. By the end of January the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) ruled that Gudmundsson, a citizen on Iceland in the United States on a H-1 visa, was ineligible to work in country and had to cease playing for the Sizzlers. Kansas City argued that Gudmundsson was exempt from INS rules on employment due to the specialty of his profession, but the INS ultimately rejected that argument. INS District Director Ron Sanders said that for Gudmundsson to be classified as "an alien of distinguished merit and ability" he would have to be in the NBA, not the CBA. Kansas City were eliminated from playoff contention following the 1985–86 season, however, the Evansville Thunder were disqualified from the playoffs for failing to meet their financial obligation to the CBA and the Sizzlers were invited to participate in Evansville's place.