It's Happening: NBA Owners Just Voted to Bring Basketball Back to Seattle
Stop what you're doing. The NBA board of governors just voted unanimously to explore expansion bids for Las Vegas and Seattle, and all 30 owners were on board. This is real. After 18 years without an NBA team, Seattle is officially back in the conversation, and honestly, the Emerald City should be buzzing right now.
The Vote Is In, and It's a Green Light
Every single NBA owner voted in favor of exploring Las Vegas and Seattle expansion, which means the league is serious about this. Commissioner Adam Silver didn't mince words 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. We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties." Silver is holding a news conference to lay out next steps, but the real work starts now. The league has hired investment bank PJT Partners to evaluate prospective ownership groups, arena infrastructure, and the broader economic implications of bringing NBA basketball back to the Pacific Northwest.
Here's the Timeline and the Money
The bidding process is expected to generate offers in the $7 to $10 billion range for each franchise. Think about that. A decade ago, franchise valuations looked completely different. Mat Ishbia bought the Phoenix Suns in December 2022 for a then-record $4 billion. That number got smoked in 2025 when Bill Chisholm purchased the Boston Celtics for $6.1 billion, and then Mark Walter bought the Los Angeles Lakers for $10 billion, the largest sum ever for a U.S. professional sports team. Expansion fees for Seattle and Las Vegas are expected to reflect this explosive growth in franchise valuations.
The league is targeting the 2028-29 season for both expansion franchises to start playing. There will be another vote later this year, and 23 of 30 governors need to approve the final transactions to get to 32 teams. Multiple high-ranking league officials have already called expansion "when, not if," which tells you everything you need to know about where this is headed.
Why Now? Why Seattle?
Seattle has proven it can support pro sports. The Kraken landed here in 2021 and built an instant fanbase. The WNBA's Storm plays at Climate Pledge Arena, the renovated venue that replaced the outdated KeyArena. The arena underwent major renovations from 2018 to 2021 and is ready for NBA basketball. Las Vegas has the Golden Knights in the NHL (2017) and the three-time champion Aces in the WNBA since 2018. The Raiders relocated there in 2020, and the Athletics are heading there for 2028.
Seattle's been waiting since 2008, when the SuperSonics were ripped away over a lease dispute. Now, with Climate Pledge Arena in pristine condition and the 12s ready to reclaim their team, the wait might finally be over. Stay locked in. This is the biggest news Seattle sports has had in nearly two decades.
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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.