It's been sorely missed in the Northwest.
Nearly two decades after Seattle lost the SuperSonics to relocation, the NBA is formally exploring whether to restore basketball to the Pacific Northwest — and to bring it for the first time to Las Vegas. Commissioner Adam Silver announced the league has engaged investment bankers and begun evaluating ownership, arenas, and financial structures for what could become the league's 31st and 32nd franchises. It is a story about loss and restoration, about cities that have waited and cities that have arrived, and about a league weighing whether the moment is right to grow.
- Seattle has carried an open wound since 2008, when the SuperSonics were uprooted overnight and shipped to Oklahoma City, and the prospect of an expansion team has reignited nearly 20 years of dormant longing.
- Las Vegas, already embedded in the NBA's calendar through Summer League and All-Star events, is pressing its case as a city that has proven it can sustain major professional sports across multiple leagues.
- Entry fees projected between $7 billion and $10 billion signal that expansion is not a casual gesture — it is a structural and financial transformation that would reshape the league to 32 franchises.
- Commissioner Silver has been deliberate in managing expectations, stating plainly that expansion could result in two new teams, one, or none at all, with ownership groups, arena deals, and roster depth all still unresolved.
- The earliest a new franchise could tip off is the 2028-29 season, leaving the next eight months as the critical window in which exploration must either crystallize into commitment or quietly dissolve.
Kevin Durant was in Chicago when he heard the news — Seattle might be getting basketball back. The city that drafted him in 2007, watched him win Rookie of the Year in a SuperSonics uniform, and then lost him to relocation just a year later was being considered for an NBA expansion team. "It's about time," Durant said after his Rockets fell to the Bulls. "It's been sorely missed in the Northwest."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made it official Wednesday at the Board of Governors meeting in New York, though he chose his words carefully. The league is exploring expansion — not guaranteeing it. Investment bank PJT Partners has been hired to evaluate ownership groups, arena situations, and the financial architecture of adding two franchises. Silver was candid about the uncertainty: "There is absolutely a chance expansion may not happen. It's also possible we could expand to one market. Maybe two, or no markets."
Seattle's claim is built on history and grief. The SuperSonics played 41 seasons beginning in 1967, won a championship in 1979, and produced legends like Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and Ray Allen. Then, in 2008, Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett moved the franchise to Oklahoma City, leaving a wound that has never fully healed. Durant, now 37 and fifth all-time in career scoring, still remembers those early days. "They do deserve a team," he said. "They must be super-excited, being it's been nearly 20 years without basketball."
Las Vegas offers a different story — not restoration, but arrival. The city has never hosted an NBA franchise, yet it has long been woven into the league's fabric through Summer League, All-Star Games, and training camps. In recent years it has added NHL, NFL, MLB, and WNBA franchises, establishing itself as a proven major sports market with both the appetite and the infrastructure.
The financial stakes are significant. Expansion fees are expected to reach $7 to $10 billion per franchise, and adding two teams would push the league to 32 — a meaningful structural shift. Silver expressed confidence that the global growth of basketball talent over the past three decades is sufficient to staff two competitive rosters without diluting the league. The speculated debut season is 2028-29, though that remains provisional.
A final Board of Governors vote will determine whether exploration becomes reality. Eight months remain. For Seattle, it would mean the return of something taken. For Las Vegas, it would be confirmation of a city that has earned its place among the league's homes. For now, the NBA is exploring — and nothing more.
Kevin Durant was in Chicago when the news arrived late Monday evening: Seattle was about to get basketball back. The city that drafted him second overall in 2007, that watched him win Rookie of the Year in a SuperSonics uniform, that lost him to relocation just twelve months later when the franchise packed up for Oklahoma City—that city was about to be explored as a home for an NBA expansion team. When Durant heard, he smiled. "It's about time Seattle gets basketball back," he said after his Houston Rockets lost to the Bulls. "It's been sorely missed in the Northwest."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made it official Wednesday afternoon at the Board of Governors meeting in New York, though he was careful with his language. The league is "exploring expansion," he said—not committing to it, not guaranteeing it will happen. The NBA has hired investment bank PJT Partners to evaluate ownership groups, arena situations, and the financial architecture of adding two franchises. If all the pieces align, Silver said, the league hopes to be ready to move by the end of 2026. But he was blunt about the uncertainty: "There is absolutely a chance expansion may not happen. It's also possible we could expand to one market. Maybe two, or no markets."
Seattle's claim is rooted in loss and restoration. The SuperSonics operated for 41 seasons beginning in 1967, winning the NBA championship in 1979 and reaching the Finals twice more. The roster included Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Spencer Haywood, Dennis Johnson, and Ray Allen—names that still carry weight in the city. Then, in October 2006, Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett purchased the team. Eighteen months later, it was gone. The move to Oklahoma City in July 2008 left a wound that hasn't fully healed, even as the Thunder have since won an NBA title and produced three MVP-caliber players. For many Seattle fans, success in Oklahoma City doesn't erase the sting of what was taken. Durant, now 37 and fifth all-time in career scoring, remembers the thrill of those early days. "They do deserve a team," he said of Seattle fans. "They must be super-excited, being it's been nearly 20 years without basketball, man."
Las Vegas presents a different profile. The city has never hosted an NBA franchise, but it has been woven into the league's infrastructure for years—home to the Summer League, All-Star Games, offseason training camps, and Team USA practices. In recent years, Las Vegas has transformed itself into a major sports market, landing franchises in the NHL, NFL, MLB, and WNBA. The 2007 All-Star Game was held there. The city has both the appetite and the facilities.
The financial stakes are substantial. Entry fees for new franchises are expected to range from $7 billion to $10 billion, extrapolated from recent sales of established teams like the Celtics and Lakers. An expansion would push the league to 32 franchises—a significant structural change. But Silver and the Board believe both markets have the fundamentals: proven fan bases, arena situations, and the economic capacity to support professional basketball at the highest level. Notably, no other cities—Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Mexico City—emerged as serious contenders this time around.
The remaining variables are substantial. Who will own these franchises? Where exactly will they play? How will the league staff two new teams with competitive rosters without diluting talent across the league? Silver addressed the last question directly, citing the explosive growth of global talent over the past three decades since the league last expanded to Toronto and Vancouver. "It's my view we have ample talent to fill 32 competitive teams," he said. The speculated inaugural season for any new franchises is 2028-29, though that too remains provisional.
A final vote by the Board of Governors will determine whether exploration becomes reality. Eight months remain to sort through the details. For Seattle, it would represent a return to the NBA after nearly two decades of absence—a restoration of something lost. For Las Vegas, it would be validation of its emergence as a tier-one sports city. For the league, it would be a calculated expansion into markets with demonstrated capacity and appetite. But nothing is certain. Silver was adamant about that. The NBA is exploring, not committing. The next eight months will determine whether Seattle and Las Vegas become the league's 31st and 32nd homes.
Notable Quotes
It's about time Seattle gets basketball back. It's been sorely missed in the Northwest.— Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
There is absolutely a chance expansion may not happen. It's also possible we could expand to one market. Maybe two, or no markets.— NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Seattle matter so much to this conversation? The Thunder have been successful in Oklahoma City.
Because success elsewhere doesn't erase what was taken. The Sonics had a championship, had Durant on the way up, had a real future. Then it was gone. For nearly twenty years, that city has been without basketball. That's a long time to carry a loss.
And Las Vegas? It's never had an NBA team before. Why is it suddenly viable?
Because the league has already made it a home in every way except the franchise itself. Summer League, All-Star Games, practices, meetings—Las Vegas is already woven into how the NBA operates. The city proved it could handle major sports when it landed the Raiders, the Golden Knights, the Aces. It's not a gamble on an unknown market.
Seven to ten billion dollars for an entry fee. That's extraordinary.
It reflects what franchises are actually worth now. When you look at what the Celtics and Lakers sold for, you're looking at a completely different valuation than even a decade ago. The NBA is a different business. The money has changed everything.
Silver said there's a chance expansion doesn't happen at all. Is that real, or is he just covering himself?
I think it's real. There are genuine unknowns—ownership groups, arena situations, whether you can actually field two competitive teams without weakening the whole league. He's not being coy. He's acknowledging that this is exploration, not destiny.
What does Durant's reaction tell us?
That even the greatest players remember where they started. He was a kid in Seattle, won Rookie of the Year there, and then it was taken from him. Now he's at the end of his career, and he's genuinely happy that the city might get another chance. That matters to people.