NBA Not Returning To Seattle Despite NHL Expansion: Report

Despite the NHL expanding into Seattle, the NBA reportedly doesn't have any plans of returning to the city. On Tuesday, it was announced that the NHL granted an expansion franchise to the Emerald City which will begin playing in the 2021/22 season.

“Today is an exciting and historic day for our League as we expand to one of North America’s most innovative, beautiful and fastest-growing cities,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “We are delighted to add David Bonderman, Tod Leiweke and the entire NHL Seattle group to the National Hockey League family. And we are thrilled that Seattle, a city with a proud hockey history that includes being the home for the first American team ever to win the Stanley Cup, is finally joining the NHL.”

The news was met with positive reactions, with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson taking to social media and calling for the NBA to return to the city next.

Seattle, of course, had one-time NBA champions (1979) the SuperSonics from 1967 to 2008. They relocated following the 2007/08 season and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But despite many calling for the SuperSonics to return since the move, it doesn't look likely at least in the near future, according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports.

"After talking to multiple sources around the NBA about Seattle, there is no plan for NBA expansion on the table," Helin wrote. "The NBA’s owners are not even considering it. Nobody expects them to take up expansion the near future — meaning five or seven years — either."

"Maybe, at best, it could be part of the next television package discussions in 2025, but the market will be so different by then nobody is making predictions," he added.

Helin notes that the only way a Seattle franchise could play in the NBA right now is if a current team is sold and relocated, earmarking the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans as teams to watch out for. It's still a long shot though.

Regardless, winter sports will be returning to Seattle as the new NHL franchise will be a member of the Pacific Division, and will even the league up with 32 teams following the Las Vegas Golden Knights joining last season.

As for the name of the team, betting odds have the Seattle Totems as -105 favorites with the Seattle Emeralds behind at +400.