Seattle has been without an NBA franchise since the SuperSonics left to become the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. Now that they have a renovated arena, it’s starting to sound like the days when the Sonics might return are getting closer and closer.
According to Northwest basketball columnist John Canzano, “the NBA is expected to announce two new expansion teams, in Seattle and Las Vegas, after their media rights deal expires in 2024.”
RUMOR: The NBA is expected to announce two new expansion teams, in Seattle and Las Vegas, after their media rights deal expires in 2024.
(via @johncanzanobft) pic.twitter.com/nP1CVT9khQ
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 24, 2022
This wouldn’t be a huge surprise as many NBA fans have assumed that Seattle and Las Vegas were leaders on the short-list for the next expansion franchises, whenever the league decides to do so.
KeyArena, the former home of the Sonics, was recently renovated and has now become Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and WNBA’s Seattle Storm. Local fans have been desperate to see the NBA return to the Emerald City ever since the Sonics left and it now sounds like it’s simply a matter of when.
In the meantime, the news that an impending announcement could be coming soon sent shockwaves through the NBA world on Tuesday. There were plenty of strong reactions from locals and NBA fans from around the globe, some of whom would prefer to see expansion teams elsewhere as well.
Vegas feels like a lazy choice man, give a team back to Vancouver pls. https://t.co/iqYWZw4Y0q
— HTB ♨️ (@HenryTheBlasian) May 24, 2022
bring back the sonics https://t.co/7GYgU7NNo8
— ace (@SupremeAce_) May 24, 2022
Getting the Sonics back is cool, but but the basketball talent margin is so thin that two more rosters means that there are going to be some all time JAGs getting court time and contracts on par with or better than good NFL guys. https://t.co/mw2QWOEIls
— The Smoking Musket (@smokingmusket) May 24, 2022
That Seattle/Oklahoma City rivalry will be next level crazy https://t.co/GRP4T1zqMX
— ⚡️ JM ⚡ (@WeAreOKC) May 24, 2022
It’s also worth noting that not everyone believes this rumor is going to bear fruit. One Las Vegas reporter threw cold water on it, saying that according to his sources, it’s “absolutely false.”
Told by a reliable source that this rumor is absolutely false. And it should be noted the NBA media rights deals expire after the 2024-25 season, not in 2024. Obviously things can change between now and 2025, but as it stands today, false alarm. #vegas #nba https://t.co/uUtErZa8zG
— Mick Akers (@mickakers) May 24, 2022
So we’ll see. It would be strange for the NBA not to try to get back into Seattle given the market size and the desire to create more local rivalries on the West Coast. However, there are still plenty of good options for the league to consider as well.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.