NBA wants more money from Seattle expansion bidders

October 16, 2026

Seattle still looks likely to get its NBA team back. The league would apparently like a better price first.

Expansion bids for Seattle are “substantially lower” than those submitted for Las Vegas, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. That gap helps explain some of the uncertainty surrounding what many fans have viewed as a straightforward two-city expansion plan.

Windhorst suggests commissioner Adam Silver is using the league’s alternatives to encourage stronger Seattle offers. Those include the possibility of adding just one franchise, along with suggestions that unsuccessful Las Vegas bidders could turn their attention to Seattle. Two prospective ownership groups are currently pursuing a Seattle team.

There’s also another city in the conversation. Silver told owners at last month’s Board of Governors meeting that at least one Mexico City group had approached PJT Partners, the NBA’s expansion adviser, with a proposal for a franchise and a new arena district, per Windhorst.

The concept has intrigued the league, according to his sources. Whether it represents a serious alternative or another way to put pressure on Seattle’s bidders is less clear. Windhorst raised the possibility that Mexico City could be a “stalking horse” in the process.

He still expects Seattle to receive a team. Existing NBA ownership groups are also counting on the expansion fees associated with adding two franchises, giving the league a financial reason to complete both deals.

But expecting the SuperSonics to return and reaching an agreement on the price are different steps. Seattle has waited a long time for NBA basketball to come back.

That doesn’t mean the league is ready to accept the offers currently on the table.

If this is about money, and of course it is, the NBA should consider what Seattle offers beyond an expansion check. The return of the Sonics would be one of the biggest events the league has had in years. At some point, you have to stop negotiating the entrance fee and let the customers in.