NBA Won't Vote on Sonics Return This Summer, Commissioner Silver Says

Don't expect an answer on whether the SuperSonics are coming back to Seattle anytime soon. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made it clear Monday that owners won't be voting on expansion for Seattle and Las Vegas during the summer Board of Governors meetings. The timeline is getting pushed back, but there's still hope before the calendar flips to 2027.

The Wait Gets Longer

Silver spoke to a group of sports editors, including Seattle Times sports editor Paul Barrett, at NBA headquarters in New York on Monday. The message was straightforward: summer is too soon. "I think this summer would be premature, but there is time between the summer and the end of the calendar year," Silver said. "It is still my hope for both Seattle and Las Vegas that we would be positioned to make decisions and decisions about specific groups by the end of the year."

Last month, the league announced it was formally exploring expansion in both cities. That announcement made the summer owners meeting, which traditionally happens during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, seem like a realistic target for a vote. Not anymore. Based on Silver's comments, the earliest a vote would likely happen is the owners meeting before the start of the season, usually in September. Of course, the league could always call a special meeting whenever it wants to move things along.

Two Years to Get Ready

The NBA has mentioned the 2028-29 season as a potential start date for expansion teams if approved. That timing makes sense. Having a decision by late summer or early fall would give franchises two years to set up shop, something league insiders have said would be the preferred window for launching new teams.

On the Seattle side, things are moving slowly. PJT Partners, the investment bank the league hired to handle the exploration, has started conversations with prospective ownership groups. One Roof Sports and Entertainment is the only group that has publicly stated it wants to pursue expansion in Seattle. Silver said they're in the early stages, "going through that first round of the process now of preliminary indications of interest, vetting them and discussing with them more specifics around valuations and better understanding from groups about precisely where they would play and what those arrangements would be."

Las Vegas Stealing the Spotlight

Here's the thing that stings a little: Las Vegas is drawing more interest than Seattle right now. Bloomberg reported that early indications show Vegas getting more bidders, and no formal offers have been submitted yet from either city. The Vegas group includes potential bids from Magic Johnson, Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, and possibly Marc Lasry, a former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner. Seattle's got work to do to catch up.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.