The NBA has seen a lot of changes through the years. Between various rule changes and implementations during games, the biggest elephant in the room continues to be the idea of NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league office seriously discussing the idea of expansion. More and more talent continues to enter the league, and it is clear that expansion teams will be added at some point. As a result, the idea of the Seattle SuperSonics once again becoming a team in the NBA has gained significant traction.
Seattle has long been asking to bring back a team in the NBA, and the city has gone as far as to make sure they have a venue ready to go. Aside from renovations made to Climate Pledge Arena, both the NHL and WNBA have added expansion teams in Seattle recently. It seems inevitable that the NBA will expand, making the SuperSonics' return predictable.
Whether or not this historic franchise would renew their history is a key topic of discussion. From 1967-2008, the SuperSonics were a franchise in the NBA. Then, after some rifts that formed between new ownership and arena problems in Seattle, the team relocated to become the Oklahoma City Thunder. To this day, the SuperSonics' history is intertwined with that of the Thunder's.
Should Seattle receive an expansion team from the NBA and once again house the SuperSonics, then this history from the Thunder will be relinquished, according to ESPN. When the Thunder relocated and rebranded, there was a deal in place that made it clear the SuperSonics would retain all associated logos, colors, and trademarks if a new team was to take over in Seattle's KeyArena. Interestingly enough, the Thunder don't even really intertwine their history with that of the SuperSonics, as none of Seattle's banners hang in the rafters in Oklahoma City.
Much like how the Charlotte Hornets claimed the history from the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans, who originally left Charlotte, the NBA returning to Seattle would be a similar scenario regarding the SuperSonics' history reverting back to the franchise.
If the NBA does expand in the coming years and Seattle opens its doors for the return of the SuperSonics, they would also retain all of the history that comes with the franchise, including their 1979 championship and all-time records.
Other cities in consideration for NBA expansion
Despite Seattle being at the forefront of NBA expansion conversations, several other cities have been rumored through the years.
Las Vegas has long been a destined home for the NBA due to the league's ties to the city, as well as the sports expansion that has taken place in Paradise, Nevada. Along with the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, and the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL, the MLB has a deal in place to have the Oakland Athletics relocated to Sin City. All that would be missing then is a team in the NBA, a league that has housed Summer League in this city for the last two decades, as well as the Emirates NBA Cup.
If the NBA decides to expand in the coming years, it would be shocking if Las Vegas wasn't given a team, especially since this move has LeBron James' endorsement. The league's all-time leading scorer has made it clear that he wants to be apart of an ownership group that brings an expansion team to Vegas, and LeBron could help make a bid upwards of $7 billion.
Mexico City has long been another possible expansion site for the NBA due to the league's ties to the city through its G League's Capitanes. The NBA will also have the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards play one another in Mexico City in November as a regular-season game for the 2024-25 season.
As ESPN states, Vancouver, Montreal, Kansas City, and Louisville are four other cities that have been brought up previously as possible NBA expansion sites. Of course, Vancouver housed the Grizzlies for their first six seasons in operation from 1995-2001 before relocating to Memphis.
As of right now, there are a total of 30 NBA franchises. With the new media deal creating an influx of money to owners and the league as a whole, expansion will be the next order of business for the NBA to sort through. Over the course of the next two years, it wouldn't come as a surprise for Silver to announce at least two new franchises.
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