It's Actually Happening: Seattle's Getting an NBA Team Back, and the Vote Is This Week
Mark your calendars, Emerald City. The NBA expansion vote that could bring the SuperSonics back to Seattle is happening March 24-25, and according to Shams Charania, one of the most connected reporters in the business, it's essentially locked in. Twenty years to the day after the original Sonics got ripped away, we could be getting basketball back. This is huge.
The Price Tag and the Timeline
Here's what we're talking about: each franchise, whether Seattle or Las Vegas, is projected to cost between $7 billion and $10 billion. That's not cheap, but it's also not shocking when you look at what NBA teams are selling for these days. The Lakers went for $10 billion in 2025. The Celtics fetched $6.1 billion before that. The money is there, and the owners want it.
The Board of Governors needs 23 of 30 votes to approve the expansion. Charania says it's going to pass. If it does, both Seattle and Las Vegas would be targeting the 2028-29 season for their first games. Do you realize what that means? Exactly 20 years after the Thunder moved to Oklahoma City, we'd have our team back. Climate Pledge Arena is ready. The city is ready. This is real.
Why Seattle and Vegas Win This
Las Vegas has basically been the league's unofficial 31st city already. They host Summer League, they have the three-time champion Aces in the WNBA. The infrastructure is there. But Seattle? We've been waiting since 2008. Climate Pledge Arena, the renovated former KeyArena, is now NBA-ready and sitting in the heart of the city. Governor Bob Ferguson has been vocal about supporting this, and he's meeting with commissioner Adam Silver on Monday to make the case.
The league expects both teams to land in the Western Conference, which means someone's moving East. Minnesota or Memphis would be the candidates, with some executives thinking one of those teams makes the jump. The league will also have to figure out the expansion draft, salary cap rules, and draft structure before a binding vote expected at the July Board of Governors meeting during Summer League in Las Vegas.
What's Next
This week is it. March 25 is when the vote happens. If it passes, formal bidding opens for franchises in both cities. A final vote to seal the deal could come later in 2026. After 18 years in the desert, Seattle's about to get its NBA team back. Stay tuned.
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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.