This Just Happened: NBA Owners Just Voted to Bring Basketball Back to Seattle
Stop everything. The NBA board of governors just unanimously voted to explore expansion bids for Las Vegas and Seattle, and all 30 owners are on board. This is actually happening. After 18 years without a team since the SuperSonics left town in 2008, Seattle could be getting NBA basketball back.
The league is targeting the 2028-29 season for both expansion franchises to start playing. That means we could have NBA games at Climate Pledge Arena within the next couple of years. How wild is that?
The Money Talk: This Is a Massive Deal
Here's where it gets insane. The bidding process is expected to generate offers in the 7 to 10 billion dollar range for each team, according to sources. To put that in perspective, the Los Angeles Lakers just sold to Mark Walter for 10 billion dollars, which is the largest sum ever for a U.S. professional sports team. The Boston Celtics sold to Bill Chisholm for 6.1 billion in 2025. This expansion is about serious money.
The league brought on investment bank PJT Partners to evaluate prospective ownership groups, arena infrastructure, and the economic implications of expansion. They're going to spend the next several months examining both Seattle and Las Vegas bids and deciding whether to finalize the franchise purchases this year or wait a bit longer. A final vote could happen later this year, and 23 of 30 governors need to vote in favor for it to pass.
Why Seattle? Why Now?
Seattle's been waiting for this moment since 2008, when owner Clay Bennett moved the Sonics to Oklahoma City over a lease dispute with KeyArena. That arena got completely renovated from 2018 to 2021 and is now Climate Pledge Arena, home to the Kraken and the Storm. The venue is ready. The fan base is ready. Adam Silver said it perfectly in his statement: "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."
Other leagues are already all in on both cities. The NHL brought the Golden Knights to Las Vegas in 2017 and the Kraken to Seattle in 2021. The NFL's Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020. Las Vegas has the Aces, a WNBA dynasty that's won three championships in 2022, 2023, and 2025 since arriving in 2018. Seattle's proven it can support multiple pro teams at the highest level.
Owners are on board because they see massive long-term revenue growth potential from both markets. This is just the beginning. Watch this space.
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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.