Seattle has been a top contender ever since the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008. The city’s enthusiasm for bringing back an NBA team has been clear, as evidenced by the numerous preseason games held there in recent years. Kevin Durant, who was drafted by Seattle in 2007 and played his rookie season with the SuperSonics before the move, has been one of several high-profile voices advocating for the NBA’s return to the city.
While there’s no official timeline for NBA expansion, reports suggest that new teams could be added for the 2027-28 season. Though specific cities haven’t been announced, Seattle and Las Vegas are widely believed to be at the top of the list. If Seattle is awarded one of the new teams, it could not only get an NBA franchise back but also reclaim the beloved “SuperSonics” name.
According to reports, if a team returns to Seattle, the Oklahoma City Thunder would give back the SuperSonics’ history to the new Seattle franchise. This would mirror the situation in Charlotte, where the Hornets reclaimed their original history from the New Orleans Pelicans after switching from the Bobcats back to the Hornets in 2014.
Since the Thunder don’t celebrate the SuperSonics’ past, it would be a straightforward process to separate the two teams’ histories if Seattle gets a new franchise. This would also restore a significant piece of NBA history, allowing the legendary players from the SuperSonics’ era to be properly honored, something that’s been missing without an NBA presence in the city.
Although 2027-28 has been floated as a possible target for expansion, NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently mentioned that there wasn’t much discussion on the topic during the latest Board of Governors meeting. However, he did confirm that expansion will be addressed this season. With the league having wrapped up its new collective bargaining agreement last summer and a major TV rights deal finalized this year, expansion appears to be a key focus for the NBA in the coming years.
