Washington governor talks potential return of SuperSonics with NBA

With the NBA considering a possible expansion, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson met Thursday with the league’s commissioner to offer assistance in returning the SuperSonics to Seattle. Ferguson had reached out to set what his spokesperson called an introductory meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. The two didn’t meet in person.

Late last year, Silver indicated the league would decide in 2026 whether to pursue expansion, while floating Seattle and Las Vegas as two likely destinations. Seattle has been awaiting news of a return of its beloved SuperSonics for years, with no luck.

The city lost the team, owned by Starbucks executive Howard Schultz, to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Oklahoma City Thunder won its first NBA title last season.

Since the Sonics left, Seattle has replaced the aging Key Arena with the state-of-the-art Climate Pledge Arena, with the hopes of adding professional men’s basketball to the NHL’s Kraken, WNBA’s Storm and Professional Women’s Hockey League’s Torrent that currently call the arena home. Climate Pledge has hosted NBA preseason games in recent years.

As governor, Ferguson has shown his fandom for Seattle sports teams, especially as the Mariners and Seahawks have had playoff success since he took office last year. He even mentioned wanting to see the return of the SuperSonics in his State of the State address. “We know that our work in professional sports is not done until we bring the Seattle SuperSonics back home,” Ferguson said.