OT The Great Seattle Supersonics Return just got a bit more real

[Everything Beagle]

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sonics/how-sonics-return-is-impacted-by-sale-of-celtics/

What was viewed as the last domino before the NBA would seriously entertain expansion has fallen.

The Boston Celtics have reached agreement on a sale. And now the NBA has a ballpark figure it can ask for a potential expansion fee from parties interested in bringing the league back to Seattle.

I really want Seattle to get the Sonics back; we lost a lot when we lost our nearest rivals.

 

[wizenheimer]

what was the latest expansion fee for an NBA team...and when?

never mind, I looked it up: the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. Expansion fee was 300M

team values in 2004:

1 LOS ANGELES LAKERS/Jerry Buss ('79) $447
2 NEW YORK KNICKS/Cablevision Systems ('97) 401
3 CHICAGO BULLS/Jerry Reinsdorf ('85) 356
4 DALLAS MAVERICKS/Mark Cuban ('00) 338
5 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS/Comcast-Spectacor ('96) 328
6 BOSTON CELTICS/Wycliffe Grousbeck ('02) 290
7 DETROIT PISTONS/William Davidson ('74) 284
8 SAN ANTONIO SPURS/Peter Holt ('93) 283
9 PHOENIX SUNS/Jerry Colangelo ('87) 282
10 INDIANA PACERS/Herbert Simon, Melvin Simon ('83) 280
11 HOUSTON ROCKETS/Leslie Alexander ('93) 278
12 SACRAMENTO KINGS/Gavin Maloof, Joseph Maloof ('98) 275
13 WASHINGTON WIZARDS/Abe Pollin ('64) 274
14 PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS/Paul Allen ('88) 272
15 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS/George Gund, Gordon Gund ('83) 258
16 TORONTO RAPTORS/Larry Tanenbaum ('98) 249
17 NEW JERSEY NETS^/Raymond Chambers, Lewis Katz ('98) 244
18 UTAH JAZZ/Larry Miller ('85) 239
19 MIAMI HEAT/Micky Arison ('95) 236
20 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES/Glen Taylor ('95)
21 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES/Michael Heisley ('00) 227
22 DENVER NUGGETS/E Stanley Kroenke ('00) 218
23 NEW ORLEANS HORNETS/George Shinn ('88) 216
24 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS/Donald Sterling ('81) 208
25 ATLANTA HAWKS^^/Time Warner ('01) 202
26 ORLANDO MAGIC/Richard DeVos ('91) 199
27 SEATTLE SUPERSONICS/Howard Schultz ('01) 196
28 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS/Christopher Cohan ('95) 188
29 MILWAUKEE BUCKS/Herbert Kohl ('85) 174
LEAGUE AVERAGE 265

 

[handiman]

^ Team values have gone up more than tenfold over those 20 years, which suggests the buy-in for an expansion team is now $3B+. That's tough to fathom. It's still the same ~75% of an average franchise's value, but overcoming that much upfront cost to view it as profitable is a big ask.

 

[barfo]

I really want Seattle to get the Sonics back; we lost a lot when we lost our nearest rivals.

I dunno, wouldn't it be better if Beaverton got a team instead of Seattle? I think this metro could support two NBA franchises, maybe even five.

barfo

 

[SheedSoNasty]

I miss having them close by. I hope they get one soon.

 

[BlazerWookee]

I think a team in Seattle would be good for the Blazers and their fanbase.

That being said, fuck Seattle. With Darius Miles' nonexistent bobblehead.