The Kraken's NBA Gamble: Seattle's Basketball Future Just Got Real
Eight years. That's how long the Kraken ownership group has been plotting to bring the NBA back to Seattle. And now, after the league just announced it will explore expansion, Tod Leiweke and his crew are making it clear: we're all in.
"We started this journey eight years ago intentful to bring the NBA back, and we are going to lean in," Leiweke, CEO of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, said from New York after the NBA's expansion announcement Wednesday. Translation: Seattle is serious about getting a Sonics franchise back, and the Kraken ownership isn't backing down.
The Groundwork Is Laid
Here's the thing: so far, the Kraken group is the only organization that has stepped up and said they're ready to make a bid for an NBA franchise in Seattle. That matters. While we wait to see if other groups decide to jump into this pursuit, the folks who built the Kraken organization from scratch are signaling they've been preparing for this moment.
"The announcements we made earlier in the week were all laying the groundwork, and we're excited," Leiweke explained. The Kraken didn't get here by accident. They've been strategic, methodical, and community focused. Now they're applying that same playbook to bringing basketball back to the Emerald City.
If They Get the Chance, Here's How They'll Do It
Leiweke made one thing crystal clear: if the NBA rewards Seattle with a franchise, the Kraken ownership will run it the same way they've built everything else. "If we're fortunate enough someday to bring it back and help lead, we'll do it the same way, in the same fashion we've done everything else: fans, community and with passion for this place we live."
That's not just talk. That's a promise rooted in how they've operated the Kraken and the Seattle Torrent of the PWHL. They get it. They understand what Seattle fans deserve after losing the Sonics, and they're betting they're the right people to bring basketball home.
The NBA voted Wednesday to explore expansion, which could mean adding two new teams. Seattle's already in the conversation. The question now: will anyone else show up with a competing bid, or is this going to be the Kraken's to lose?
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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.