Seattle could regain an NBA team after the league’s board of governors voted to explore adding two expansion franchises, with Las Vegas the other potential location.
The Seattle Supersonics competed in the NBA from 1967 to 2008 before being relocated to Oklahoma City and renamed the Thunder after the franchise was bought by an Oklahoma-based group in 2006.
If the expansion is approved, it would increase the number of NBA teams from 30 to 32.
Las Vegas has not previously had an NBA team, but has two teams in the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.
NHL side the Las Vegas Knights were founded in the Nevada city as an expansion franchise in 2017, while the NFL’s Raiders moved there from Oakland in 2020.
MLB team the Athletics, previously based in Oakland and currently playing in Sacramento, will move to Las Vegas from the 2028 season.
Seattle hosts teams in three of the four major leagues – reigning NFL Super Bowl champions the Seahawks, MLB’s the Mariners and the NHL’s Kraken.