Rumor: NBA to announce expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle

[TheLegend]

[Edit: Original tweet from AP writer said multiple sources said the NBA would announce Seattle and Las Vegas expansion during pre-season game being played in Seattle. Tweet has since been deleted.]


NBA Commissioner Adam Silver back in June said "no".

Adam Silver Addresses NBA Expansion Rumors - Sports Illustrated

The commissioner addressed reports that expansion could be coming after the 2024 season.

www.si.com

Click to read more...

 

[Voight]

Current TV deals end in 2025 so if they can get both teams up & running by then, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[Mrfenn92]

More watered down bad basketball

 

[NextBigThing]

Golden Knights will be bumped to #3 in town. Could be #4 if MLB relocates to Vegas.

 

[Howe Elbows 9]

Will the SuperSonics return, or will Seattle's team have some other name?

 

[StreetHawk]

Will the SuperSonics return, or will Seattle's team have some other name?

I believe that was one of the conditions when Bennett moved the Sonics out was that the couldn’t take the name and their history with him to okc. Similar to the Cleveland browns.

Just a matter of which green colour scheme they want as they have had a couple. Original one is closer to the Minny North stars green and yellow. They went to the finals vs Chicago in a darker green and red/dark yellow scheme in the 90’s before switching back to the original scheme in KD’s time with the club.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I believe that was one of the conditions when Bennett moved the Sonics out was that the couldn’t take the name and their history with him to okc. Similar to the Cleveland browns.

Just a matter of which green colour scheme they want as they have had a couple. Original one is closer to the Minny North stars green and yellow. They went to the finals vs Chicago in a darker green and red/dark yellow scheme in the 90’s before switching back to the original scheme in KD’s time with the club.

what actually it is is The Thunder's history is shared with the Sonics, when Seattle returns that's when that piece gets determined as to which franchise gets that history..... you don't see OKC honoring any Seattle history ie retired players/championships.... it belongs to the city/county as Seattle is designated or CP Arena..... much like the Storm were sold prior to the transfer by then Sonics ownership to OKC

 

[StreetHawk]

what actually it is is The Thunder's history is shared with the Sonics, when Seattle returns that's when that piece gets determined as to which franchise gets that history..... you don't see OKC honoring any Seattle history ie retired players/championships.... it belongs to the city/county as Seattle is designated or CP Arena..... much like the Storm were sold prior to the transfer by then Sonics ownership to OKC

Off topic that is kind of what made the Avs choice of the Nords logo as their reverse retro jerseys so odd in my books since they didn’t honour the retired jerseys of Goulet 16 and Statsny 26.
Same with the Canes and their whalers reverse retro since they didn’t either for all but Howe’s 9.

Good for the area when the nba returns to Seattle. LV that will be an attractive spot for nba players if they find a good owner willing to spend.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Golden Knights will be bumped to #3 in town. Could be #4 if MLB relocates to Vegas.

I don’t think they even lost #1 crown yet.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Golden Knights will be bumped to #3 in town. Could be #4 if MLB relocates to Vegas.

Nah, the town loves the Knights. They were 1st and they became immediate members of the community with all they did after the Route 91 shooting. Plus the immediate winning led to a passionate fan base

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I can’t help but think that the mad rush of teams to Las Vegas is going to leave a team high, dry, and unprofitable there sooner rather than later.

And any Seattle team would have to be nuts to not adopt the Sonics name. All that’d do is immediately piss off your consumers with nothing to really gain from it.

 

[Lackhalak]

I bet the NBA expands when LeBron retires, I think they want him to have the Vegas team

 

[sh724]

I bet the NBA expands when LeBron retires, I think they want him to have the Vegas team

I dont disagree but dont think they will wait for him to be officially retired to make the announcement of the team.

Fenway Sports Group, which Lebron is a very minor owner of, has been working on a project on the LV strip that would include a new arena. No shovels in the ground yet or anything but its been rumored for quite some time now.

After FSG bought the Penguins their primary attention shifter to the NBA.

I doubt Lebron has had any actual influence in FSG and this was the likely path whether or not Lebron was involved.

 

[Voight]

I can’t help but think that the mad rush of teams to Las Vegas is going to leave a team high, dry, and unprofitable there sooner rather than later.

And any Seattle team would have to be nuts to not adopt the Sonics name. All that’d do is immediately piss off your consumers with nothing to really gain from it.

IIRC when Chris Hansen was looking to move the Kings there, it was to change the name to Sonics.

I bet the NBA expands when LeBron retires, I think they want him to have the Vegas team

Wouldn't be surprised to see Silver let him bend the rules and be an owner of one team while playing for another. Besides, he could always just play for the expansion team.

 

[LadyStanley]

VGK may always be high in locals hearts as they were the first major league team. Raiders had existing fan base, as would Athletics.

Knight Hawks, Desert Dogs are also original teams (as are USL Lights and MiLB Aviators, IIRC).

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

VGK may always be high in locals hearts as they were the first major league team. Raiders had existing fan base, as would Athletics.

Knight Hawks, Desert Dogs are also original teams (as are USL Lights and MiLB Aviators, IIRC).

Especially since they've been struggling lately, an NBA team probably hurts UNLV Basketball the most

 

[HisIceness]

I know it's going to happen but I don't have a lot of enthusiasm about the Sonics returning. Most of that is the fans on Twitter always calling for teams like the T-Wolves, Pelicans, Grizzlies and Kings to relocate there anytime there's some kind of hint about ownership changes. There's also the guy behind Sonicsgate which I actually enjoyed but his interviews with ESPN during the Kings saga and "Its the dangerous example the NBA set" while he and his pals went to a playoff game in Denver and rang cowbells in support of the Kings a year prior always seemed very hypocritical to me. This isn't the first case of a team leaving, it wasn't the last.

I also thought that they have had some of the ugliest uniforms in all of sports. Don't get me wrong, I think the name is cool, but the logo and color scheme has never been pleasing to my eye.

 

[TheLegend]

VGK may always be high in locals hearts as they were the first major league team. Raiders had existing fan base, as would Athletics.

Knight Hawks, Desert Dogs are also original teams (as are USL Lights and MiLB Aviators, IIRC).

The Raiders’ real fan base is in Los Angeles.

 

[LightningStorm]

Went to a Storm game at CPA recently and its a great arena for basketball. After going to the first Kraken game there, I knew the Sonics would be back. No way the NBA would let themselves miss out on that arena in that market.

 

[GKJ]

OKC does honor Sonics history, they still have the numbers the Sonics retired.

They wanted to retire #20 for Gary Payton but he refused.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

OKC does honor Sonics history, they still have the numbers the Sonics retired.

They wanted to retire #20 for Gary Payton but he refused.

they have shared history until the Sonics return, is the story

 

[FissionFire]

I dont disagree but dont think they will wait for him to be officially retired to make the announcement of the team.

Fenway Sports Group, which Lebron is a very minor owner of, has been working on a project on the LV strip that would include a new arena. No shovels in the ground yet or anything but its been rumored for quite some time now.

After FSG bought the Penguins their primary attention shifter to the NBA.

I doubt Lebron has had any actual influence in FSG and this was the likely path whether or not Lebron was involved.

They’ve already announced a huge casino/arena project south of the strip. Pretty sure FSG isn’t involved but that’s supposed to be where the NBA arena is being built. I think it’s the LA-based Oak View Group who is building it.

The Raiders’ real fan base is in Los Angeles.

You seriously underestimate just how much of the Las Vegas population has come from Los Angeles and the rest of Raiders fandom. Plus the cities are close enough that it’s easy for LA residents to make day trips for Raiders games. There are tons who already do make weekend trips here since it’s just a 4-5 drive (or a quick cheap 1 hour flight).

 

[TheLegend]

You seriously underestimate just how much of the Las Vegas population has come from Los Angeles and the rest of Raiders fandom. Plus the cities are close enough that it’s easy for LA residents to make day trips for Raiders games. There are tons who already do make weekend trips here since it’s just a 4-5 drive (or a quick cheap 1 hour flight).

Not really.....

I'm a native Californian, from the San Juaquin Valley and spent a lot of years in SoCal. I have a nephew who currently lives in Vegas, and had a cousin by marriage who was an original Oakland Raider in the 60's.

I have no doubt plenty of fans come out of SoCal to Vegas. Raiders fans travel very well.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

I wonder what the expansion price will be? Given the size of the Seattle market, I'm guessing $2 billion on the low estimate and $2.5 billion as the high estimate.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I wonder what the expansion price will be? Given the size of the Seattle market, I'm guessing $2 billion on the low estimate and $2.5 billion as the high estimate.

same ownership if OVG wants to add the NBA ONCE the Kraken get established solidly now they're not the newest franchise coming off total unknown status as an expansion club... their focus likely this year is launching Coachella Valley the way Seattle was done last season