When NBA will start talking expansion, fulfilling 'dream' of Sonics' return

Tim Booth, The Seattle Times on Feb 19, 2025

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SEATTLE — Turns out NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was asked and answered one question last weekend related to potential expansion during the All-Star Game.

The question was thanks to a one-time SuperSonics coach.

Silver spoke with ESPN Radio as part of its pregame show leading into the broadcast of the All-Star Game on Sunday. And during that availability, former NBA coach and current ESPN radio analyst P.J. Carlesimo asked Silver about expansion and specifically about Seattle.

While Silver pointed out the same issues that continue to have delayed the league moving ahead on formally deciding on whether to start the expansion process — the sale of the Boston Celtics, concerns about dilution of talent, economics — he did provide a bit more of a timeline.

Here was Silver’s full answer to the question from Carlesimo, who prefaced the question by mentioning he lives in Seattle and is asked regularly about the possibility of the Sonics returning:

“I do love Seattle, P.J., as you know and you and I together were there for many years of NBA basketball and our dream is to return to Seattle at some point. What I said earlier this year, we want to work through some existing team transactions. Right now we have a situation in Minnesota, would like to see that get resolved. It’s no secret the Celtics are for sale, but I think then we’re going to turn our attention to expansion again.

“We have been modeling it at the league office. Just real quickly, it’s dilution not just in terms of talent with two more teams, but if you have a long-term television deals then you have two more partners which you’re sharing the economics with so you have to work that through in determining what the value of the expansion team would be. But there’s certainly no lack of interest in Seattle and several other markets as well. And just in fairness to the process, including from people I know in Seattle or people from other markets who have asked for meetings, what we are saying is that we will run an open and transparent process and don’t want to have backroom conversations. So we’re being very open about that. But we will turn in the next few months back to considering expansion again.”

What “few months” means is open to interpretation. Depending on how quickly the Minnesota sale is approved by the NBA Board of Governors and how quickly the Celtics sale progresses could mean expansion is addressed at the BOG meeting that takes place late in the regular season. Or it could end up being a topic during the summertime BOG meeting that typically takes place during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.