It's Happening: NBA Owners Just Voted to Bring Basketball Back to Seattle
Stop what you're doing. The NBA's board of governors just voted unanimously to explore expansion bids for Las Vegas and Seattle, and all 30 owners are on board. This is real. After 18 years without an NBA team, the Emerald City could finally get basketball back.
Here's what went down: the league is targeting the 2028-29 season for two new expansion franchises to start playing. That means we could be watching NBA basketball at Climate Pledge Arena in less than three years. Commissioner Adam Silver said it best in a statement Wednesday: "Today's vote reflects our Board's interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle, two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball."
The Money and the Timeline
Let's talk numbers because they're massive. Sources told ESPN that a bidding process is expected to generate offers in the $7 to $10 billion range for each team. Yeah, billion with a B. The league brought on investment bank PJT Partners as a strategic adviser to evaluate prospective ownership groups, arena infrastructure, and the economic implications of expansion.
The process is just getting started. The league will examine Seattle and Las Vegas bids over the next several months and decide whether to execute the new franchise purchases in 2026 or wait a few years. There's also a potential final vote later this year to finalize the expansion to 32 teams. Both voting rounds require 23 of 30 governors to vote in favor, and based on this unanimous approval, that's not looking like it'll be a problem.
Why Seattle and Las Vegas Make Sense
This isn't a shot in the dark. The NHL proved these markets work: the Golden Knights came to Las Vegas in 2017 and the Kraken joined Seattle in 2021, both thriving. The Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, and Major League Baseball's Athletics are heading there for the 2028 season. Las Vegas has been home to the WNBA's Aces since 2018, and they've won three championships (2022, 2023, 2025).
Seattle lost the SuperSonics in 2008 when owner Clay Bennett moved the team to Oklahoma City after a lease dispute over KeyArena. That sting has lasted 18 years. But the arena is different now. After extensive renovations from 2018 to 2021, it's now Climate Pledge Arena, home to the Kraken and the WNBA's Storm. It's state of the art and ready for the NBA. Owners are supporting expansion because both markets represent serious long-term revenue growth for the league. Franchise valuations have exploded recently: Mat Ishbia paid $4 billion for the Phoenix Suns in December 2022, then the Boston Celtics sold for $6.1 billion in 2025. An NBA team in Seattle would be worth serious money.
This is the next step. Multiple high-ranking officials have already called expansion "when, not if." Silver will hold a news conference later Wednesday to discuss next steps. Seattle fans, start planning your trips to Climate Pledge Arena. Basketball is coming home.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.