Seattle Mayor Optimistic About NBA’s Expansion Plan

The NBA’s prospective plan to add two new expansion teams continued to trend this week. On Thursday, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan detailed her working relationship with Adam Silver and the optimism that surrounds potential expansion.

In a conversation with KING 5’s Chris Daniels, Durkan explained that a pre-Christmas conversation with Silver served as a launching point for optimism. In regards to NBA expansion and Seattle’s chances, Durkan appeared bullish on the proposition.

“I think it’s real. But I think again, the commissioner is going to, you know, consult the ownership, and the ownership for the first time itself is being very public that they think it is probably a good idea for basketball. Part of that is the COVID economics. Part of it is the economics of sports. But look, there’s no city that I think is better positioned to be successful. We’re going to have the best arena in the country. I’m not just saying that when people walk in that building, they will be amazed. We are a city that even with COVID, when we come out of COVID, we have so much upside here.”

Earlier in the week, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed that the NBA is considering two expansion teams that each carry a price tag in the ballpark of $2.5 billion.

You can read all of Durkan’s comments at KING 5.