NBA expansion: Seattle Mayor gives BIG update on city's return to tournament rumours

With the 2020-21 season underway, the NBA is now apparently looking to expand – hoping to soften the blow of COVID-19-caused losses. This week, reports circled around Seattle, with fans on social media excited about the league finally returning to Seattle. Recently, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan spoke about the same, optimistic about the upcoming opportunities. 

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Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is "optimistic" about an NBA expansion

"Number one, the commissioner never gets ahead of the owners," Durkan said while talking to local reporters. "And number two, if you want a city that wants a team, don't get ahead of either of them". She added that it is very "good news for Seattle that they are thinking of an expansion team". Ever since the Seattle SuperSonics were moved, fans have been asking for NBA to return to the city. 

"He knows Seattle wants to be at the front of the line. We're where the team should be," she added, speaking about them respecting the league's decision. The owners, as per Durkan, have to make their decision first. However, if NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has announced it publicly, Durkan believes there must be merit in what is being said. "I don't think it's going to be a long multi-year process. I think it can be a shorter process than that, but it might be, you know, more than one year".

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Fans react to a possible new Seattle NBA team

How does that make any sense to you??? 😂😂 yeah because Los Angeles is gonna give away their famous basketball team to seattle

— Hou$ton Killaz (@htxs1im) January 5, 2021

The Lakers should move to Seattle because LA is owned by the Clippers

— Official🧙‍♂️(3-4) And (11-5)-x (@Officialj0nn) January 5, 2021

Na send a team to Halrem and bronx

— NBA Expert. (@WhatSeperatesU) January 5, 2021

Seattle should’ve never lost their team. Las Vegas is already the favorite to get James Harden.

— Vic (@_Victorres_) January 5, 2021

Add Vegas and Seattle to the west.
Move New Orleans, Memphis or Minneapolis to the East

— Schwermindahouse (@Schwermzilla) January 5, 2021

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Are there other potential NBA expansion cities?

The NBA is considering adding two expansion franchises to help with COVID financial losses.

Which two cities should get a team?

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 5, 2021

Apart from Seattle, Las Vegas is also being considered a city that could get an NBA team. While expansion could be exciting for the league, many have expressed concern over a lot of things needing to be altered. This includes everything from the Draft, current players and additional events like the All-Star games. Though an NBA expansion might help teams, COVID-19 might not help the situation. 

Last month, NBA commissioner Adam Silver also spoke about a possible expansion. "I think I've always said that it's sort of the manifest destiny of the league that you expand at some point," he said. He spoke about the pandemic causing them to "dust off some of the analyses on the economic and competitive impacts of expansion". However, the plan is not yet on the "front burner".

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(Image credits: AP)