The Kraken Just Made a Power Move That Could Bring the Sonics Back to Seattle
Hold up. The Kraken ownership group just did something huge, and this is not a drill. They have launched a parent company called One Roof Sports and Entertainment, and yeah, this could be the move that finally gets an NBA team back to Seattle for the first time since 2008.
Here is what went down: One Roof Sports and Entertainment, led by Kraken chair Samantha Holloway, just announced they are purchasing additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from Oak View Group. This means the Kraken ownership will become the majority owner of the building where the hockey team plays and where a future NBA expansion team would almost certainly call home.
Why This Matters Right Now
The timing here is not a coincidence. The NBA Board of Governors is expected to vote this week on expanding to 32 teams by adding franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas. The target date for these new teams to start playing is the 2028-29 regular season. Translation: we are closer than ever to getting basketball back in the Emerald City.
Holloway made the stakes clear in a statement: "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. Increasing our ownership in Climate Pledge Arena allows us to consolidate operations and sets us up for future opportunities."
The Kraken Ownership Already Has Their Eyes on Basketball
This should not be a shock if you have been paying attention. Holloway's father, late Kraken co-founder and co-majority owner David Bonderman, told Seattle Sports back in 2018 that "if there's a basketball franchise available, we're going to go after it." Bonderman was previously a minority owner of the Boston Celtics. Then in 2024, Holloway herself told Bloomberg that Seattle would be "an amazing market" for the NBA, and that the league "knows that."
Oak View Group, which originally oversaw the construction of Climate Pledge Arena, will keep a significant minority stake and continue to operate the facility under a long-term agreement. So this is not OVG getting pushed out. It is just the Kraken ownership consolidating control of the building that could house an NBA team.
One Roof Sports and Entertainment is now the umbrella brand for the Kraken, Climate Pledge Arena, the Kraken Community Iceplex, the One Roof Foundation, a partnership with the City of Seattle and Seattle Public Schools on redeveloping Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center, plus their interests in the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds and Acrisure Arena in California.
The Sonics left us in 2008. If the NBA votes this week the way everyone expects, we could be getting them back by 2028. That is not hype. That is how close we might actually be.
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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.