NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has told league owners that Seattle is no longer a certainty for the league’s next round of expansion, according to a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Silver reportedly raised Mexico City as an alternative during a meeting with the board of governors last month, even as he remains “full-go” on adding a team in Las Vegas.
The news lands hard in Seattle, where fans have waited since 2008, when the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City. Last March, all 30 NBA owners voted to formally explore expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas, a move many took as a near-promise that the Sonics would return to a city with a ready-made, state-of-the-art venue in Climate Pledge Arena.
That optimism grew further when One Roof Sports, the group leading the push to bring the Sonics back, secured billionaire backer Melinda French Gates. But Windhorst’s latest reporting suggests the deal is far from settled.
Money Is the Driving Factor
At the center of the dispute is Silver’s effort to push up franchise valuations across the league. Bids for a new Las Vegas franchise are expected to top $10 billion, while Seattle bids are expected to come in well below that figure — partly because Seattle already has an arena, meaning a new ownership group would not automatically control the revenue that comes with operating the building itself: luxury suites, concessions, sponsorships, naming rights and other events.
Any Seattle bidder outside of One Roof Sports would need to negotiate separately with the arena’s operators or finance an entirely new venue, a costly and uncertain path that would also require city approval. That dynamic gives One Roof Sports leverage over rival Seattle bidders, but little reason to offer anywhere near what a Las Vegas franchise might command.
By floating Mexico City publicly, Silver appears to be signaling that the league has options beyond Seattle, a move that could pressure Seattle bidders to raise their offers. Silver has made no formal commitment to Seattle, nor has he confirmed that the league will add two franchises at once, or expand at all.
Seattle Fans React
The latest twist has frustrated longtime Sonics supporters who have followed years of false starts. Former Seattle Post-Intelligencer sports columnist Jim Moore wrote on X alongside a photo of Silver: “This s—t is laughable. It never ends. When does Seattle finally say f—k off to this guy?”
Whether Silver’s mention of Mexico City is a genuine alternative or a negotiating tactic aimed at Seattle bidders remains unclear. What is clear is that Silver’s task is to secure the strongest financial outcome for the league’s current owners, not to guarantee Seattle’s return — leaving Sonics fans once again waiting for an answer.
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