The city of Seattle, Washington, could soon see the return of its beloved SuperSonics, as the NBA appears poised for expansion following its new media rights deal.
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The agreement, which will bring in over $76 billion from ESPN, NBC, and Amazon over the next 11 years, sets the stage for the league’s next big step.
While NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said that expansion wasn’t a focus at this month’s Board of Governors meeting, it’s clear that the topic is gaining momentum.
“I think we will engage this fall, in earnest, in the process of making those determinations — should we expand and if we were to expand, how many teams should we expand,” Silver said.
A Seattle Sonics fan holds a sign before the Rain City Showcase in a preseason NBA game between the LA Clippers and the Utah Jazz at Climate Pledge Arena on October 10, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. The NBA could be adding back a team in the city of Seattle.
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Seattle is at the forefront of potential expansion cities, though Las Vegas is also in the mix. If Seattle is awarded a franchise, it’s likely that the SuperSonics name will be revived without any resistance from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explained that because the Thunder don’t actively celebrate the SuperSonics’ history, it would be relatively easy to disentangle the shared past of the two teams, clearing the way for the Sonics’ return.
“The deal between Thunder ownership and the city of Seattle resolving a lawsuit over the team’s arena lease and allowing the move to Oklahoma City stipulated that the name SuperSonics and all associated logos, colors, and trademark would be transferred to the owner of a new NBA team approved to play at a renovated KeyArena at no cost.
That agreement laid out the terms of shared ownership of Sonics history, including the team’s 1979 championship trophy and retired jerseys. Officially, the NBA combines the history of the two teams. For example, the league recognizes Payton as Oklahoma City’s career leader in games played.”
Rumors suggest that the 2027-28 season could be the target date for adding new teams. With the NBA‘s new Collective Bargaining Agreement finalized last summer and the media rights deal wrapped up this year, expansion has become the league’s top priority in the coming years. It would be a significant surprise if Seattle isn’t one of the cities to receive a team, given the longstanding desire to bring the Sonics back.
Seattle, a city with passionate sports fans, already has teams in the NHL, WNBA, MLB, and NFL. The return of an NBA franchise would complete the city’s lineup, and the wait may finally be over within the next few years.
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