The Kraken Just Made a Massive Power Move That Could Bring the Sonics Back to Seattle
So this is happening. The Kraken ownership group just launched a parent company called One Roof Sports and Entertainment, and yeah, this could be the real deal in bringing an NBA team back to the Emerald City. The group, led by Kraken chair Samantha Holloway, is making serious moves to position itself as the driving force behind a potential Seattle Sonics expansion franchise.
Here is the biggest part: One Roof Sports and Entertainment just agreed to purchase additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from Oak View Group, making the organization the majority owner of the building. That matters because, well, if the Sonics come back, they are going to play right there at Climate Pledge Arena. This is not just talk anymore. This is infrastructure.
The Foundation Is Being Built Right Now
"We're committed to this community, and this parent brand brings together everything we've done, from a privately financed arena to the Seattle Kraken," Holloway said in a statement. "Increasing our ownership in Climate Pledge Arena allows us to consolidate operations and sets us up for future opportunities." Translation: they are getting their house in order so when the NBA comes knocking, Seattle is ready to answer the door.
OVG is keeping a significant minority stake and will continue to run the day-to-day operations of Climate Pledge Arena under a long-term deal, so do not worry about disruption. This is a smooth consolidation that strengthens the Kraken ownership's position while keeping operations flowing.
The NBA Is Coming, and Soon
The timing here is wild. The NBA Board of Governors is expected to vote this week to explore expanding to 32 teams by adding franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas, with the 2028-29 regular season as the target date. That means we could see a Sonics team playing at Climate Pledge Arena in less than three years.
This has been the Kraken ownership's plan from the jump. David Bonderman, Holloway's father and the late Kraken co-founder, told Seattle Sports back in 2018 that "if there's a basketball franchise available, we're going to go after it." He even had experience as a minority owner of the Boston Celtics. More recently, Holloway told Bloomberg in 2024 that Seattle would be "an amazing market" for the NBA, and that the league "knows that." Looks like she was right.
One Roof Sports and Entertainment is now the umbrella for the Kraken, Climate Pledge Arena, the One Roof Foundation, the Kraken Community Iceplex, a partnership with the City of Seattle and Seattle Public Schools on redeveloping Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center, and interests in the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds and Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert. This is a real enterprise in the making.
For the first time since the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 and became the Thunder, Seattle might actually get its NBA team back. And the Kraken ownership just made sure they will be the ones running it.
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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.