Anyone who has followed the NBA for a long time knows that a team belongs in Seattle. That’s just a feeling, though. Business doesn’t work that way. People have to work together, on all sides, to make it happen. Can the city get itself a squad again? Here’s ESPN.com with an update on the city’s arena situation:
What it didn’t have was an acceptable arena, the genesis of the reason the Sonics left. After numerous previous proposals failed, last week the Seattle City Council passed a measure to clear the way for a privately-funded rebuild of antiquated KeyArena, ensuring the city will have a world-class venue by late 2020 or early 2021. The end of the long journey triggered a wave of momentum not only that the NHL would come, but that the NBA would soon follow…
The NBA doesn’t have expansion anywhere on its timeline, and Seattle’s arena developments weren’t discussed for a moment at the fall board of governors meeting two weeks ago, league sources said. Some prospective ownership groups that have met with NBA officials have been told expansion may not happen until 2025 at the earliest, when a new TV deal can be negotiated, sources said.
In general, NBA teams have flown up so high in value that it’s tough to think an owner would want to rock the boat by moving to another city. There are exceptions to that, of course, but the vast majority of the league’s teams will likely stay put for a long, long time.
Fans in Seattle shouldn’t expect any positive news on this front anytime soon.
What would be interesting is what the favorite team is of former Sonics fans who still do follow the league and have switched to another squad as the one they call their own.
