Every time NBA expansion chatter perks up, Adam Silver is there to squash it down. So here’s a twist: Silver is now the one making news by talking up the potential for expansion. In a sitdown with C.J. McCollum for The Players’ Tribune, Silver said it’s “inevitable” the NBA will look at expansion at some point and that Seattle would be on the short list.
Dust off your old Seattle SuperSonics gear
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That’s pretty well couched. But given Silver’s previous dismissal of expansion talk — including a few months ago when the league and players’ union reached an amicable labor deal — it’s big news.
I ranked potential expansion cities earlier this year, and Seattle was No. 1 with a bullet. The only real questions are what the expansion fee would be and whether the NBA would add a second team simultaneously to keep the conference numbers even. I should also note I’ve heard some skepticism about Mexico City since then, which might be good news for a Southern or Midwestern city with an arena in place — like Louisville or Kansas City.
Meanwhile, here’s what’s happening on the arena front in Seattle this year. And here’s what I think it would take for the NBA Board of Governors to actually approve expansion.
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