LAS VEGAS — Those clamoring for the National Basketball Association's long-awaited return to Seattle once again were on the mind of the league's commissioner when the topic of expansion came up.
Adam Silver spoke in front of 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 forthcoming media deals are finalized.
“There’s no doubt there’s enormous interest in Seattle," Silver said (h/t The Athletic). "That’s not a secret. There are other markets that have indicated interest. For the people who hear or read about this interview, we are not engaged in that process now. We’re not taking meetings right now with any potential groups. What we’re saying to everyone privately is the same thing I’m saying publicly that there’ll be a very open process at the time already to consider expansion. But that’s not yet. That’s not yet now.”
Silver also indicated that the league sees Las Vegas as another viable candidate. The NBA hosts its Summer League annually in Sin City, as well as the recently announced in-season tournament to be rolled out in 2023-24.
The Seattle Supersonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, and the Emerald City has been pushing to have professional basketball return ever since. Climate Pledge Arena opened and was built with a locker room fit for NBA specifications, although only the National Hockey League's Seattle Kraken and Women's National Basketball Association's Seattle Storm currently call the facility home.
Could an expansion NBA franchise join them? That remains to be seen, but the city will again host an NBA preseason game in October between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz in the second annual "Rain City Showcase." Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was a longtime Microsoft executive who made several pushes to acquire an NBA team and move to Seattle before ultimately buying the Clippers.
Don't expect any announcements imminently, but Seattle continues to be the most consistent city linked to potential future NBA expansion.
