Seattle could regain an NBA team after the league’s board of governors voted to explore adding two expansion franchises, with Las Vegas the other potential location.
The Seattle Supersonics competed in the NBA from 1967 to 2008 before being relocated to Oklahoma City and renamed the Thunder after the franchise was bought by an Oklahoma-based group in 2006.
If the expansion is approved, it would increase the number of NBA teams from 30 to 32.
Las Vegas has not previously had an NBA team, but has two teams in the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.
NHL side the Vegas Golden Knights were founded in the Nevada city as an expansion franchise in 2017, while the NFL’s Raiders moved there from Oakland in 2020.
MLB team the Athletics, previously based in Oakland and currently playing in Sacramento, will move to Las Vegas from the 2028 season.
- 8 February 2024
- 16 November 2023
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the current NBA champions, while the franchise previously won one title as the Supersonics in 1979.
Seattle would reportedly be able to use the Supersonics name and logo if a franchise were to return to the city.
Las Vegas has hosted NBA all-star events and summer league games, while Women’s National Basketball Association side the Aces are also based there.
Any expansion is still several steps away and would require approval by at least 23 of the 30 NBA governors to pass.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the vote “reflects our board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle – two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball.”
He added: “We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”
Any bids to own either of the two expansion franchises are expected to be between $7bn (£5.2bn) to $10bn (£7.5bn).
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