Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell believes the NBA will eventually return to his hometown. “So without revealing my ‘confidential sources’, I’m very optimistic,” Harel said, according to Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle. “But I will tell you almost on a weekly basis that I receive updates on what is happening in the league, where there are some opportunities.” While building the new Climate Pledge Arena means there is a stage that could house an NBA team, Crabtree explained that Seattle fans may have to be patient with any kind of announcement, as the NBA collective agreement expires after the 2023-24 campaign. and makes a mutual opt-out for after next season. In addition, TV shows expire after the 2024-25 season. Addressing these issues is likely to precede the addition of expansion teams to the NBA’s priority list, and Harrell even suggested the same when considering a timeline for optimism. “No, I’m not so optimistic until the end of the year. But I’m going to tell you that the league and those who make the decisions, including the ownership base, fully understand that this is a great market. “And the owners, how they make decisions, there are some other factors that need to be stabilized first. But Seattle is very mature and the league understands that and they know our passion. especially the passion of my management, to get this team.” The NBA idea of having expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas came to fruition in February when The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said he had an “intel” that the league was exploring such a possibility. The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov also said earlier this month that the Oak View Group would build an arena in Las Vegas by 2026 that could serve as the home of an NBA team in the future. However, an NBA spokesman said “there is no truth” when referring to the speculation following Simmons comments, according to Chris Daniels of KING 5 in Seattle. The NBA has a rich history in Seattle, with the SuperSonics playing there from 1967-68 to 2007-08 and winning the title in 1979. They also reached the NBA Finals in 1996 with Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp leading, although the team lost to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Seattle lost their team when the franchise moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder starting in the 2008-09 season.
