Seattle SuperSonics’ return moves closer as NBA expansion vote begins

NBA governors are set to undergo a two-day vote to begin the process of expanding the league from 30 teams to 32 teams Tuesday. This is the first vote within the league to expand into Las Vegas and return professional men’s basketball to Seattle, potentially ending a now 18-year drought after the SuperSonics were repackaged and relocated to Oklahoma City in July 2008.

Seattle and Las Vegas are the only two markets under active consideration if the league votes to move ahead with expansion, according to ESPN. Twenty-three of the 30 franchise governors must vote yes for the resolution to pass.

This is the first vote between the board of governors to explore adding expansion teams. The final vote is expected to be at the end of 2026 once bids have been fielded for the potential new teams, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.

If the vote passes, the league is targeting the 2028-29 season for the new teams, or returning when it comes to the SuperSonics, to begin play.

Governor Bob Ferguson met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Monday afternoon, with Ferguson reiterating to the league’s chief that bringing back the Sonics is a top “priority” for him. According to KIRO 7, Ferguson’s spokesperson said the meeting with Silver was “productive.”

Kraken ownership takes potential step toward owning an NBA Sonics team

Additionally, the Seattle Kraken ownership group announced on Monday it launched a parent brand, One Roof Sports and Entertainment, to “oversee a growing portfolio of properties and fuel new opportunities” – something that could include owning an NBA expansion Seattle Sonics team.

One Roof Sports and Entertainment entered into an agreement to purchase additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from its previous owner, Oak View Group, thereby making the organization the majority owner of the building. Oak View Group will still manage the arena.

“We’re committed to this community, and this parent brand brings together everything we’ve done, from a privately financed arena to the Seattle Kraken,” Kraken chair Samantha Holloway said in a statement. “Increasing our ownership in Climate Pledge Arena allows us to consolidate operations and sets us up for future opportunities. OVG is an amazing partner, and I am pleased that they will continue to operate the facility for many years to come.”

Climate Pledge Arena was designed specifically to meet the NBA’s stadium standards. According to its website, Climate Pledge Arena describes itself as a “multi-purpose live entertainment venue built for NHL hockey, live music and events, WNBA, and future NBA basketball.”

“Climate Pledge Arena was set up so that it would be ready to plug and play for an NBA team and this kind of puts [the Seattle Kraken ownership group’s] stake in the ground as far as saying, ‘We want to be the ones involved with the NBA team,'” Dr. Natalie Welch, the director of Seattle University’s Sports and Entertainment department, told KIRO 7. Welch’s PhD is in sports management.

Any bid for a new franchise would be large, reportedly estimated between $7-$10 billion.

NBA basketball in Seattle post Sonics relocation

Seattle has hosted NBA preseason games in years past, dubbed the “Rain City Showcase,” with the games selling out at Climate Pledge Arena.

“I am so excited to have a game in my hometown of Seattle, Washington,” Steve Ballmer, the governor of the Los Angeles Clippers, exclaimed to a crowd of cheers ahead of last year’s Rain City Showcase in 2023. “I am so excited to see Climate Pledge Arena, this fantastic building, light up tonight.”

Additionally, NBA superstars LeBron James and Jason Tatum were accompanied by Dejounte Murray, Aaron Gordon, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and more in August 2022 to compete in Jamal Crawford’s CrawsOver Pro-Am League, held at Seattle Pacific University. Murray and Banchero are both Seattle natives who played high school basketball in the area — Rainier Beach High School and O’Dea High School, respectively — while Holmgren played his one season of college basketball with the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

All of these NBA-related events have been seen as teasers leading to a potential reunion between the NBA and the SuperSonics.

If professional men’s basketball returns to Seattle, the Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly plans to cede SuperSonics-era history back to the new franchise. The SuperSonics operated from 1967 to 2008, winning six division titles, three conference titles, and one NBA Championship in 1979.

Contributing: Seattle Sports; KIRO 7

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