Updated
Updated · MyNorthwest · Jul 15
Silver Confirms Multiple Seattle NBA Bids for $7 Billion Expansion Team
Updated
Updated · MyNorthwest · Jul 15

Silver Confirms Multiple Seattle NBA Bids for $7 Billion Expansion Team

3 articles · Updated · MyNorthwest · Jul 15

Summary

  • Multiple private groups are competing for a Seattle NBA expansion franchise, Adam Silver said after a two-day Board of Governors meeting, revealing a broader race than the single public bid had suggested.
  • Silver said owners are weighing more than price, with ownership makeup and arena plans central to the process as the league studies Seattle and Las Vegas expansion.
  • Samantha Holloway’s group remains the only public Seattle bidder and holds a key edge through majority control of Climate Pledge Arena, already outfitted with NBA-ready locker rooms.
  • Seattle’s bid had appeared to trail Las Vegas, where at least five groups had surfaced publicly, but Silver’s comments indicate Seattle also has hidden competition.
  • The NBA voted in March to explore expansion only in Seattle and Las Vegas, hopes to finish the process by the end of 2026, and is targeting 2028-29 launches.

Insights

Could secret bidders upset the presumed frontrunner for Seattle's NBA team?
With a $10 billion price tag, is a new NBA team a trophy or a business?
In the star-studded race for a Las Vegas team, whose bid has the real edge?