League owners will vote on whether to initiate the expansion process with Seattle and Las Vegas as the only targets.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — With a potential SuperSonics return to Seattle on the line, Gov. Bob Ferguson will meet with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Monday, ahead of league owners voting on expansion.
Ferguson, a self-described “die hard” fan, said he intends to do a lot of listening during the meeting with Silver, which is not his first as governor.
“It’s a priority for me to do whatever I can to be helpful in bringing back the Sonics,” Ferguson said. “I plan to do a lot of listening. I want to hear as much as he’s willing to share about what’s going on. Obviously if this is to happen, there will be a role in some capacity for the state to be helpful. What I’ve emphasized to him and others is that the state stands ready.”
According to the Associated Press, the league’s board of governors will vote next week on initiating the expansion process, with Seattle and Las Vegas as the only options on the table.
The annual meetings are being held in Las Vegas.
If 23 of the 30 teams vote in favor of the next step, a final vote would be required at a later date.
“I feel I have a pretty good appreciation for the loss our community lost with the loss of the Sonics. So I’d communicate that,” Ferguson said.
Seattle University sports management professor Natalie Welch believes Ferguson’s meeting is to reassure Silver that the city and state are ready to bring the NBA back.
“Just reinvigorating that passion that’s still here in Seattle for the Sonics. It’s kind of a no-brainer for the NBA,” said Welch.
Ferguson was asked if he thought the state’s new millionaires tax would come up; Seahawks General Manager John Schneider recently told Seattle Sports radio that it would “sting.”
“We lost the Sonics to a state that has an income tax, and we did not at the time. Steph Curry is paid a lot of money in California. They have a pretty hefty income tax, so, candidly, I just don’t think that has anything to do with anything. But if he brings it up, of course we’ll talk about it,” Ferguson said.