The Seattle SuperSonics are viewed as one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA. Though they were eventually relocated to Oklahoma City, there’s no doubt that the team gave NBA fans many good memories.
There have been some rumors about the NBA potentially expanding once again. It was reported in May that an announcement about this matter would be made in 2024, with the expansion teams being in Las Vegas and Seattle.
The NBA is expected to announce two new expansion teams, in Seattle and Las Vegas, after their media rights deal expires in 2024.
No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero has recently stated that it “should be mandatory” that the league brings back a Seattle team. He claimed that it would be a “great look” for the league to do so and added that the “games would be sold out right away” (9:37):
“I think it needs to happen, I think it should be mandatory,” Banchero said. “Not just because I’m biased, but because it’d be a great look on the NBA. It’s a great city, the fans there are crazy. If you get a team in Seattle, they’ll automatically be a top … not the top, but a top fanbase. Those games would be sold out right away.
I remember Sonics players. Chris Wilcox, Earl Watson, Kevin Durant. I was like 6 or 7… my mom was on the basketball scene, so he was friends with a couple of them.
There is no doubt that the Seattle SuperSonics coming back would make a lot of NBA fans happy. It would be nice to see those green jerseys once again, and we’ll see if those expansion plans come to pass.
As for Paolo Banchero, it is quite likely that he’ll be focused on having a productive season with the Orlando Magic. He definitely has superstar potential, and hopefully, we see Banchero become a top-tier player in the future.
