New SuperSonics bidder proposes arena 35 miles outside Seattle

The competition to bring the SuperSonics back to Seattle is getting interesting.

BlackSun Private Equity, one of two known bidders for a potential NBA expansion franchise in Seattle, is partnering with the Tulalip Tribes on plans for a new arena and entertainment district near Marysville, Wash., according to Christian Clark and John Hollinger of The Athletic.

Here’s the twist: Marysville is about 35 miles north of Seattle.

BlackSun chief strategy officer Nick Rathod confirmed the partnership, saying the group’s goal is to return the Sonics to the Pacific Northwest permanently.

“We want it to stay in that community forever,” Rathod told The Athletic.

BlackSun CEO Atonn Muhammad has said the group can add enough investors to make a bid worth as much as $8.1 billion.

The arena location would certainly create questions. The Athletic noted that rush-hour trips from downtown Seattle to the proposed site can take more than an hour, something Rathod acknowledged. BlackSun is studying transportation options including highway capacity, regional transit, shuttles and park-and-ride systems.

The other known Seattle bidder is One Roof Sports and Entertainment, led by Samantha Holloway. That group owns a majority stake in the NHL’s Kraken and controls a stake in Climate Pledge Arena, located near downtown Seattle.

The original Sonics left Seattle for Oklahoma City in 2008. Eighteen years later, there’s still no guarantee the NBA is coming back.

But there are now at least two groups willing to fight for the opportunity.