Seattle’s SuperSonics’ long wait for NBA basketball may have taken a small step forward this week. On Thursday, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, a meeting that quickly caught the attention of basketball fans across the state. While no details were shared, the timing alone sparked new hope that the Seattle SuperSonics could one day return.
What Adam Silver’s Meeting With Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson Means for SuperSonics?
The meeting between Ferguson and Silver took place on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2026, as reported by khq.com. Neither side explained exactly what was discussed, but the conversation mattered. Seattle has been pushing for an NBA return for years, and any direct contact with the league’s top official is seen as meaningful.
The meeting also came with an important backdrop. Climate Pledge Arena, once home to the SuperSonics, has gone through a $1.15 billion renovation. Inside the arena is an unfinished space labeled NBA Locker Room. It is a small detail, but one that shows Seattle has been planning for the possibility of an NBA team coming back.
Seattle Today reported that a spokesperson for the governor told NewsRadio 560 KPQ that Ferguson requested the meeting himself. The spokesperson said the conversation went well and that the governor offered to help however he could.
For Ferguson, this is personal. He grew up going to Sonics games and attended basketball camp run by former Sonics coach Lenny Wilkens. Like many fans in the city, he has never stopped caring about the team.
The SuperSonics left Seattle in 2008 and moved to Oklahoma City, where they became the Thunder. That move followed the team’s sale in 2006. Since then, Seattle fans have watched from afar as the Thunder found success, including winning the 2025 NBA championship.
Even so, Seattle remains a strong option if the NBA expands. In June 2025, Silver called Seattle a “tremendous” candidate for a new team on SiriusXM satellite radio. A month later, he confirmed that NBA owners had approved a deeper study into expansion.
Silver said the league is taking its time and that nothing has been decided yet. There is no set schedule or guarantees. Still, the fact that expansion talks are active keeps Seattle firmly in the conversation.
The SuperSonics played 41 seasons in the NBA, from 1967 to 2008. Importantly, Seattle still owns the team’s name and logo, making a future return much easier if the league gives the green light.
For now, the meeting between Ferguson and Silver does not mean a team is coming back tomorrow. But for Seattle fans, it was a reminder that the door is still open.
