Are the Seattle Sonics coming back? Here's what we know
NBA votes to add expansion team in Seattle: Next steps to bring back the Sonics
Eighteen years after the Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City, the NBA may be just one step away from returning to the city of Seattle.
It is a big day for Seattle sports fans, with the NBA’s 30 voters voting in favor of expansion exploration for Seattle and Las Vegas.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 10: 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. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Now, there are still a lot of questions surrounding what this means for the return of the SuperSonics. Here’s what FOX 13 Seattle Sports Director Aaron Levine says will likely happen next.
Seattle NBA expansion timeline: When could the Sonics return?
Timeline:
"First off, I’m just as excited as anybody – we need to pump the brakes just a little bit because this is a vote on expansion exploration. It’s not just expansion," said Levine. "So that second vote, which will be official later this year most likely, would be the one that’d officially bring the Sonics back to Seattle. But at this point, the NBA Board of Governors has approved expansion exploration just for Seattle and Las Vegas."
Levine went on to explain that Wednesday’s latest development means the focus is now on potential ownership groups in Seattle to come to the table with a bid to the league, showing they can afford the expected $7 billion to $10 billion expansion price.
Seattle NBA ownership: Who could bid for a SuperSonics team?
What we know:
Levine said the Climate Pledge Arena leadership team could represent the framework for a potential Seattle NBA ownership group.
"Earlier this week Samantha Holloway and the One Roof group coming together, taking a stake in itself – also led by Tod Leiweke," said Levine. "The question is: ‘Do they have the money and the backing to be able to do something like this?’, ‘who is part of this potential ownership group?’"
"There was also a report this morning on ESPN by David Aldrich saying that there were going to be multiple bids in both cities – Seattle and Las Vegas. Well, if there are multiple bids, at this point, we don’t know who a second bidder could potentially be from Seattle, because at this point, it looks like we have most of our eggs in one basket, and that would be a group led by Samantha Halloway," said Levine.
Seattle NBA expansion vote: When will the league decide on the Sonics?
What's next:
According to Levine, the NBA Board of Governors is expected to meet at least two more times in 2026. The first will come after NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July, which may serve more as an update meeting than a venue for an official announcement.
"It’s going to be very hard, I believe, to put this all together in a matter of three months or so before the Board of Governors meet in July, but I would be surprised if there was an official vote by the end of the year."
Seattle vs. Las Vegas: Will the NBA expand to both cities?
Many are asking whether this is an all-or-nothing decision: Will the NBA expand to Seattle and Las Vegas at the same time, or could one city be selected first?
"I believe that answer is actually ‘yes’; that it would almost be – if Seattle prepared with their bid before Las Vegas, that the NBA would look at that and say ‘okay, well we will take one of those two cities first’ – it could be a reverse situation of the NHL, where they accepted the bid for Las Vegas as an expansion team – their 31st team first, and then a few years later accepted Seattle as the 32nd team. It could be the reverse of that in regards to the NBA."
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Could Climate Pledge Arena's schedule fit the Seattle Sonics?
With the NBA set to vote on the potential return of the Sonics, the question is, is there enough room on Climate Pledge Arena's calendar?
Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena is NBA-ready for the Sonics return
Big picture view:
The arena has long been central to the fate of the Sonics, and with Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle now has a state-of-the-art venue ready to host the NBA immediately.
"From the very beginning, since the building was renovated and built into Climate Pledge Arena, Tod Leiweke has been very adamant that we are ready to bring a team to Seattle," said Levine. "NBA locker rooms are in the arena, it was built specifically to house a potential NBA team if and when the league got to that point. This has been a number of years in the making, we have had to wait for the league to finish their collective bargaining agreement first, then their new television deal – which is now done, and then the evaluation of the Boston Celtics and that sale. So now that all of this is done, not only does an expansion team cost much more than it would have maybe five years ago, but the NBA is saying it is finally ready."
"And one of the reasons why the owners would be more willing to approve expansion now is the amount of money they would potentially be getting up front from those expansion costs," said Levine. "Let’s just play this game here saying both teams cost $10 billion dollars – that’s an influx of $20 billion thanks to expansion, that is an up front payment of $667 million for all 30 teams in the league."
What could prevent the Sonics from returning to Seattle?
According to Levine, the biggest challenge is securing the necessary funding.
By the numbers:
"If we’re talking $7 to $10 billion dollars for an expansion franchise, this is coming at the same exact time that the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks are looking for a very similar amount of money and new ownership there. So we’re talking anywhere from $14 to $20 billion dollars of sports ownership money at the same time in the same city."
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Seattle’s first NBA bid: The unlikely story behind the SuperSonics’ arrival
NBA governors' vote next week could reshape the league's future, and even bring back the SuperSonics. Here's a look back at how they started.
Sonics return could align with Seattle's historic 50th anniversary milestone
Beyond the logistics of expansion, Levine noted a potentially meaningful timeline for Seattle sports fans.
Dig deeper:
A return of the SuperSonics could coincide with a series of major milestones across the city’s sports landscape. The Seattle Seahawks recently marked their 50th season with a Super Bowl victory, while the Seattle Mariners are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year with hopes of reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history.
If the NBA were to target a 2028–29 debut for a new Seattle franchise, that timing would also align with the 50th anniversary of the Seattle SuperSonics’ 1979 championship — the first major professional sports title in city history.
Such a convergence of anniversaries could add symbolic weight to a potential return of the NBA to Seattle, underscoring the city’s deep and evolving sports legacy, which dates back more than a century, including a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team in 1917–18.
The Source: Information in this story comes from a live interview on Good Day Seattle between FOX 13's Bill Wixey and FOX 13 Sports Director Aaron Levine.
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