Report says NBA Expansion to Seattle 'no longer a lock,' is it a leverage ploy?
KOMO • • sports
Key Points:
- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver indicated at the September Board of Governors meeting that a Seattle expansion team is "no longer a lock," raising questions about the league's intentions and potential competition for franchise bids.
- A Mexico City-based group has emerged as a possible contender for NBA expansion, adding uncertainty to the previously Seattle-focused discussions.
- Las Vegas currently has multiple bidders willing to pay $9-10 billion for a franchise, while Seattle has only one primary bidder, Samantha Holloway's group, with an estimated franchise value of $6-7 billion.
- A second Seattle-area group proposing an arena on the Tulalip reservation has not secured financial commitments, limiting its viability as a contender.
- The NBA aims to decide on expansion by the end of 2024 and is also working on launching a European league set to begin play in 2027.
