NBA owners to vote on exploring expansion to Seattle, Las Vegas

NBA owners to vote on exploring expansion to Seattle, Las Vegas

The NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to vote next week on whether to formally explore expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas, according to ESPN. If approved, a Seattle ownership group would need to secure billions in funding for a franchise, with a potential return of the SuperSonics targeted for the 2028-29 season.

SEATTLE - According to an ESPN report, the NBA Board of Governors will vote next week on formally exploring expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas.

This is different from the past because there has never been a formal discussion and vote about expansion since the Sonics left for Oklahoma City.

"It’s a super exciting time," said Cedric Walker, a spokesman for the Seattle NBA fans group. "This is something that Seattle NBA fans group is excited for. It’s what we’ve been waiting for. It’s everything!" 

What they're saying:

It’s an optimism reignited by news that the Sonics could be back in time for the 2028-29 season.

But to get there, the league’s Board of Governors must approve the exploration of expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas next week, and then a local ownership group would then have to prove an ability to pay an estimated seven to 10 billion dollars for a team — a sum much greater than what was floated a few years ago.

"It leaves a question of, ‘Are there going to be enough people out there willing to invest in that kind of money in a team, in an expansion franchise, while at the same time the professional football team in town that just won the Super Bowl is also for sale?’ " said Seattle Times reporter Tim Booth.

Kraken co-owner Samantha Holloway and CEO Tod Leiweke lead a group expected to be the local bidders for NBA expansion. They denied commenting on today’s report but have consistently said they’re prepared to bring the Sonics back.

"I think the NBA knows what we have here," Leiweke told FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine in an in-studio interview in April 2025. "And if the league decides they’re gonna come back at some point in time, look no farther than the Storm games and the intimacy in the building."

Big picture view:

According to ESPN, there is momentum within the Board of Governors to approve moving forward. 23 of 30 teams would then have to approve a Seattle-specific bid in a vote later this year to make a Sonics return official.

"The second anyone comes out and says ‘Here’s our group, here’s our money, here’s why we’re good for it,’ then everything is solidified. Once you get to that point, it’s done," Booth said.

Added Walker: "Seattle’s ready. Seattle’s ready. This is a living, breathing fan base. It has been like this since they left. Nothing has gone away. I like to tell friends this is not a nostalgia act. I got new friends moving to Seattle ready for basketball. We’re ready."

League owners may have been skeptical in the past about adding two more pieces to the overall revenue-sharing pie, but they would also benefit from expansion fees. For example, if the league added two teams at $10 billion, each of the 30 current teams would get an up-front payment of $667 million.

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