Will the SuperSonics Return?

Author’s note: This sports section documents the current situation of the Seattle SuperSonics. For information about Bush athletics, you can go to BushBlazersAthletics.com. For more information on sports, you can go to ESPN.com. 

With the NBA playoffs in full swing, fan bases are packing stadiums to watch their favorite stars compete on the biggest stage. The Oklahoma City Thunder head into the playoffs with a 68-14 record, which is easily the best in the league. In fact, it’s the sixth-best regular season record in NBA history, and the best record since the legendary 2015 Golden State Warriors. 17 years after relocation from Seattle, it is safe to say that the Oklahoma City Thunder organization is thriving. 

Meanwhile, in Seattle, a once-rampant NBA fan base has been left without a team for more than 15 years. In the ‘90s, KeyArena was filled with fans of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp supporters, cheering on a team that consistently competed at the highest level. The Sonics’ streak of winning seasons from 1992 to 2003 remains the second-largest streak in NBA history. Everything was good in Seattle. That is, until owner Howard Schultz decided to sell the team.

On July 18, 2006, the Seattle SuperSonics were sold to Professional Basketball Club LLC, an investment group overseen by Clay Bennett. Born in Oklahoma City, Bennett said he planned to keep the franchise in Seattle. However, after an ambitious proposal for a $500 million arena in Renton failed, Bennett’s group announced that the SuperSonics would become the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Seattleites felt betrayed. Fans and former players held rallies, calling for the return of the team. As one former player put it: “When I came up there [for a rally], I didn’t come for Clay Bennett. I came because of the Seattle SuperSonics fans.” However, the true reason for the relocation of the SuperSonics was not a shady ownership deal, but a problem with infrastructure. The Sonics’ home, KeyArena, was very small and lacked modern facilities. Its concourses were small, and it had limited potential for revenue. The Sonics were quickly losing money, and Seattle was clearly not a suitable place for a basketball team at the time. 

Now, with the construction of Climate Pledge Arena, the picture has changed. This state-of-the-art facility has the capacity and amenities to host another major sports franchise. Seattle has proven they are suitable for modern expansion sports franchises with the success of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. Furthermore, momentum is building to bring the SuperSonics back. 

Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, has consistently shown interest in returning to Seattle: “We are very focused on it. We don't take those fans for granted. The fact that we're not ready to make any public announcements with a specific timeline doesn't mean we don't care a lot about those fans.” However, the lack of action is still frustrating. Seattle now has the infrastructure to host a team, but the NBA cannot expand until they have a partner for the SuperSonics. 

The league is expected to expand to 32 teams, which would maintain even symmetry between conferences. Las Vegas has been the target, along with Seattle, as the next two NBA cities. Las Vegas also has great stadium infrastructure. Built in 2016, T-Mobile Arena is the home of the NHL’s Golden Knights and could host an NBA team as well. Furthermore, an arena is being built called LVXP Las Vegas, which is specifically designed to house an NBA team. This project has caused the public to believe that once the LVXP Arena is finished, the Seattle SuperSonics will return, along with a Vegas team.

There are other factors that affect the NBA's potential expansion. Every seven years, the NBA signs a contract with the Players’ Association that agrees on systems for the league and terms of compensation. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) can be thought of as a constant give and take between the NBA and the players, with both turning any leverage they have to a change in league rules. Adding two expansion teams will clearly help the players’ association: it will lead to more players having jobs and getting paid. The NBA will likely try to shape the rules so that these effects are evened out and the organization can still gain money. The most effective way to do this is through the next CBA, which will come into effect in 2029.

The 2029 NBA season may be the most probable year for NBA expansion. With the LVXP Arena set to open in Las Vegas in 2028, it will be able to host an NBA team. Furthermore, the NBA will be able to renegotiate the CBA to structure the expansion. Despite the lack of progress seen with expansion in recent years, many believe that it’s inevitable. When former Sonic Dale Ellis was asked if there was a chance for expansion, he responded, “Chance? No, it’s going to happen. They just haven’t made the announcement yet. There will be two franchises, one here in Seattle, and one in Las Vegas.” 

Everything the NBA has said has shown that they are interested in expanding to Seattle and Las Vegas. If the NBA does expand, it will hold an expansion draft to fill the new teams’ rosters. Every NBA team would keep around eight players from the draft, and the expansion teams would pick the remaining players available to join their team. The Seattle team would likely reclaim the SuperSonics title and would play in Climate Pledge Arena. While the original SuperSonics’ history now belongs to the Thunder, the return of NBA basketball to Seattle would mark a new beginning for one of the league’s most passionate fan bases. So while there may not be playoff basketball in Seattle this year, fans can take heart that its return might not be far away.