The NBA Vote That Could Bring the Sonics Home: Here's What You Need to Know
Seattle, we might actually be getting our team back. The NBA Board of Governors is voting this week on whether to explore expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas, and if it passes, we're one massive step closer to seeing the SuperSonics return to the Emerald City for the first time since 2008. This isn't the final green light yet, but it's huge.
What This Week's Vote Actually Means
Here's the thing: if the vote passes on Tuesday and Wednesday, it doesn't automatically mean the Sonics are coming home. What it does mean is that the NBA ownership groups are agreeing to explore adding expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas specifically. According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, this vote would give the league "permission" to start a bidding process with potential ownership groups in both cities.
A two-thirds majority is needed to pass, which means 23 of the 30 current owners need to vote yes. The Associated Press reports that approval would "move the league one step closer" to expansion and show that "the current ownership groups at least have some interest" in growing from 30 to 32 teams. Charania told Seattle Sports' Bump and Stacy that the vote was a "formality to pass," so yeah, all signs point to this going through.
When Could the Sonics Actually Play?
If this week's vote passes as expected, the real final vote on awarding franchises to Seattle and Las Vegas could happen by the end of 2026, once potential ownership groups have submitted their bids. But here's the timeline that should get you hyped: the NBA is targeting the 2028-29 regular season for expansion teams to debut. That would be exactly 20 years since the Sonics were ripped away from us and moved to Oklahoma City in 2008.
Don't pop the champagne just yet though. There's still work to do, but all the momentum is there.
The Kraken Connection
The Kraken ownership group just made a major move that signals serious intent. On Monday, they revealed the formation of One Roof Sports and Entertainment as a parent company, and One Roof has entered an agreement to purchase additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from Oak View Group, making them the majority owner of the building. That's the same arena that opened in 2022 and was built specifically with hopes of bringing the NBA back to Seattle.
So the ownership group that brought us NHL hockey in the Emerald City is now positioned to bid for an NBA franchise. That's the kind of stability and infrastructure the league wants to see.
This week's vote could change everything for Seattle sports. Stay locked in.
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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.