LAS VEGAS — Those calling for the National Basketball Association’s long-awaited return to Seattle were once again on the league commissioner’s mind when the topic of expansion came up.
Adam Silver spoke to the Associated Press Sports Editors at a conference in Las Vegas on Monday and said expansion would be more formally considered once the NBA’s next media deals are finalized.
“There’s no question that there’s tremendous interest in Seattle,” Silver said (h/t Athleticism). “It’s no secret. Other markets have expressed interest. For people hearing or reading this interview, we are not engaged in that process at this time. We are not currently taking any meetings with potential groups What we What I tell everyone privately is the same thing as what I say publicly, which is that there will already be a very open process at that point to consider expansion. But that’s not the case yet. It’s not the case now.”
Silver also indicated that the league is considering Las Vegas as another viable candidate. The NBA hosts its Summer League in Sin City each year, as well as the recently announced in-season tournament that will take place in 2023-2024.
The Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, and since then, the Emerald City has been pushing for professional basketball to return. Climate Pledge Arena opened and was built with a locker room tailored to NBA specifications, although only the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League and the Seattle Storm of the Women’s National Basketball Association currently inhabit the facility.
Could an NBA expansion franchise join them? It remains to be seen, but the city will once again host an NBA preseason game in October between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz during the second annual “Rain City Showcase.” Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was a longtime Microsoft executive who made several efforts to acquire an NBA team and move to Seattle before finally purchasing the Clippers.
Don’t expect any imminent announcements, but Seattle continues to be the most consistent city linked to possible future NBA expansion.
