NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held court in Vegas this week, and while he played it tighter than a new drum kit, he did give us one huge piece of intel on the expansion race: he's hoping this whole thing wraps up by the end of the year, December at the latest. That's right, Seattle, the clock is ticking for our shot at bringing pro hoops back, even if Silver is keeping the actual bid deadlines locked down for now.
The Emerald City's Shot: Holloway's Big Play for Basketball
So here's what we know: the NBA's bankers are gearing up to dive deep into financial bids from groups eyeing expansion franchises in both Las Vegas and our very own Emerald City. And when we say "deep," we mean it. We're talking a minimum $8 billion price tag just to get in the game. On Seattle's side, the lone bidder to go public so far is **Samantha Holloway**, who chairs the Seattle Kraken's ownership group. She's got serious backing too, with **Melinda Gates** as an investor. This group already holds the majority interest in Climate Pledge Arena, which is exactly where our new NBA team would likely drop dimes. Silver did throw out a small curveball, mentioning there's additional interest in both cities from parties who haven't shown their cards publicly yet. But make no mistake, Holloway and the Kraken ownership are leading the charge for Seattle, and that's huge.Vegas Intrigue and Adam Silver's Waiting Game
While Seattle's play is exciting, Las Vegas is where the real drama's brewing. We're talking at least six known groups, maybe more, all throwing their hats in the ring for the Vegas franchise. Names like **Jerry Colangelo**, **Bill Foley**, **Magic Johnson**, **Bob Iger**, and **Marc Lasry** are all in the mix, and they all claim they've got the $8 billion needed. Interestingly, all of them except Foley are planning to build brand new arenas. Foley, the owner of the NHL's Golden Knights, is looking to pump $300 million into upgrades for T-Mobile Arena, a facility he already owns 15 percent of. Silver knows these heavy hitters too, from Colangelo's Suns days to Lasry's time with the Bucks and Magic's Lakers connection. He said seeing all this interest in Vegas is "music to my ears." But don't expect a quick decision, folks. Silver himself said this monumental process will be laborious. He's hopeful for a December announcement, sure, but it wouldn't even be a surprise if it stretches into next year. This waiting game is tough, but with bid deadlines approaching and a potential December conclusion, the stakes couldn't be higher for Seattle. We've got our bid on the table, the arena ready to go, and a city absolutely hungry for NBA basketball. We'll be watching every single faucet drip of news.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.