The SuperSonics Are Coming Home: Here's How NBA Expansion to Seattle Actually Works
Mark your calendars, 12s. The NBA is taking a vote later this month on whether to explore adding expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, and according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks, this has been viewed as "inevitable" since commissioner Adam Silver said in December that a decision on expansion would happen in 2026. Is it officially locked? Not yet. But league circles have been expecting this for years, and it feels like we're finally seeing it happen.
The Players Are Already On Board
Here's something that might surprise you: the National Basketball Players Association doesn't even get a vote on expansion. But sources tell ESPN the players' union would be "very much in favor" of adding two new teams anyway. Why? Because it means 36 more roster spots hitting the league, 30 standard slots plus six two-way deals. More jobs for players. More money in the union's pocket. That's a no-brainer.
The SuperSonics Name Is Already Spoken For
This is the part that made Sonics fans lose their minds back in 2008 when David Stern ripped the team away and shipped them to Oklahoma City. But here's the beautiful part: as part of the relocation deal between Thunder ownership and the city of Seattle, the two sides agreed that the SuperSonics name and all associated branding would transfer to a new Seattle franchise at no cost once the NBA approved it. Better yet? The Thunder would also allow a new Seattle team to reclaim the SuperSonics' entire history and records. That's not just a name. That's bringing home our championships, our legends, everything that got stolen from us.
How the Cap Works, How the Money Flows
An expansion team gets 66.6% of the standard salary cap in year one. That jumps to 80% in year two and hits 100% by year three. It's a gradual climb, which makes sense for a startup franchise. And here's why owners are suddenly interested: expansion fees could exceed $7 billion apiece, split among all existing teams. That's a massive one-time payment for every ownership group, which softens the blow of diluting their share of league revenue across 32 teams instead of 30. Plus, with the NBA exploring a European league, new revenue streams could help offset that revenue split.
The NBA Cup tournament format would also shift with 32 teams. Eight groups of four makes way more sense than what we have now, with winners advancing to the knockout round. We're close, Seattle. Really close.
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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.