Could the Seattle SuperSonics be revived as the next NBA expansion team?

From Las Vegas to Seattle, talk of expansion in the NBA has persisted for more than a decade now with intense speculation about what city could become a home to the league’s next franchise. Where the latter is concerned, it’s no secret that the NBA has had its eyes on the market ever since the city’s former team, the Seattle SuperSonics, was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008.

NBA eyeing Seattle SuperSonics resurrection

Though you might not know it, Kevin Durant was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics back in 2007 and proceeded to play his first season in the NBA with the team. Just one year later, the team was relocated to Oklahoma City where it became the Thunder we know today. As for Durant, we know what followed i.e., MVP status and titles with the Golden State Warriors, but what you may not know is that the 14-time NBA All-Star has continued to be a vocal supporter of the idea of bringing a team back to the North West, a location where the NBA has continued to hold preseason Games.

Now, there has been no official word on if/when such a move could be made, however, some reports have suggested that the NBA could add expansion teams ahead of the 2027-28 season. It should also be said that no cities have been outrightly named, but again, Seattle has long been promoted as one of the preferred destinations as well as Las Vegas. Yet, what’s most interesting about all of this is that it’s now understood that should Seattle be selected for expansion, it won’t just mark the return of the NBA to the city, but the return of the SuperSonics themselves as the league is set to allow the proposed franchise to maintain the name.

“Sources said if a team was to return to Seattle, the Thunder would cede the Seattle history back to the SuperSonics - just as the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets reclaimed the Charlotte-era history of the New Orleans Pelicans when Charlotte switched from being the Bobcats to the Hornets in 2014,” according to ESPN’s report. To be clear, the Thunder do not in any way acknowledge the SuperSonics history, meaning there would be little complication involved in separating the two franchises. An added benefit would also be the restoration of one of the NBA’s most famous teams, one that boasted some of the league’s biggest stars, many of whom are not honored in a fitting way due to the fact that the team no longer exists.

Again, where specifics are concerned, there is still much to be established despite the tentative deadline of the 2027-28 season. Indeed, just last week league commissioner, Adam Silver, explained that there was “not a lot of discussion” during the annual fall Board of Governors meeting regarding expansion. On the other hand, he also stated that expansion is something the board intends to address this coming season. If we consider the idea that the new CBA was ratified last summer and the fact that we now have a major television rights deal in place after the league secured one this summer, one has to believe focus can now be placed on the idea of expansion. As we always say, watch this space.