Seattle Mayor Ed Murray meets with heads of NBA, NHL in New York
Jan 22, 2015, 2:20 PM | Updated: 6:25 pm
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray says he met with the commissioners of the NBA and NHL this week, but there is no news about bringing teams to Seattle. (AP file photo)
(AP file photo)
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray met with the heads of the NBA and the NHL this week on a trip to New York. But he says there are no immediate plans for the NBA to expand to Seattle, dashing the hopes of basketball fans.
Murray confirmed the meetings in a statement released Thursday:
“On Monday in New York City, on my way to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, I met for the first time with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver regarding the status of an NBA team returning to Seattle,” Murray said.
“While Commissioner Silver said Seattle remains a very attractive city for an NBA franchise with our NBA championship heritage and enthusiastic fan base, the league has no plans to expand at this time. The city will continue to do our part to bring NBA basketball back to Seattle.”
“While in New York, I also met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the future of NHL hockey in Seattle. We are very keen on bringing an NHL team here, and the commissioner recognizes the value we would bring as home to a future franchise. We will continue to work toward that shared vision.”
Murray’s meetings came as the city continues working on an environmental-impact statement that will play a large part in determining the fate of the SoDo arena project lead by investor Chris Hansen.
A memorandum of understanding between Hansen, Seattle and King County calls for $200 million in bond funding to help pay for the arena if Seattle can secure both an NBA and NHL team. But the agreement requires Hansen to land an NBA team before it can proceed.
While many hope the NBA will grant Seattle an expansion team, many insiders say the league is unlikely to expand any time in the near future, and Seattle’s best chances remain landing an existing franchise.
One recent report said Hansen was preparing a bid for the Atlanta Hawks. But the NBA has said it would not allow the team to relocate. The best chance might be the Milwaukee Bucks, which could be moved if the team can’t secure funding for a new arena.
