Climate Pledge Arena would be the site to host an expansion team in Seattle (Living Future image)

NBA Looking for Expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

by Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Las Vegas never had an NBA team. The Seattle SuperSonics played at KeyArena in Seattle from 1967 to 2008. They left Seattle because of a lease dispute with Key Arena, and since then, there has been no NBA action in the Emerald City. I traveled there with the Warriors, and I remember they had very good fans and a Hall of Fame coach, Lenny Wilkins.

Las Vegas once had the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, which relocated to San Antonio in 2008. However, they never had a permanent NBA team. The city hosts the annual NBA Summer League and is a leading contender for a future expansion team.

As of 2025-2026, the average NBA franchise is valued at over $4.6 billion, while some teams, such as the Warriors, Knicks, and Lakers, are valued between $7 billion and $11 billion. In the case of Las Vegas, if they succeed, they will now have all the top 4 professional leagues joining the MLB (A’s), NFL (Raiders), and NHL (Golden Knights), “one-stop shopping for major league sports”.

While Seattle (if they succeed) will have a return to the NBA for the first time since 2018. Attention Fans. This is not personal, it is business. “Everything in America is a business, and sports franchises fall into that category, and it seems like profit is more important than team history” (A’s are the best example).

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com