Jake Smidt has Google alerts set for two phrases: "SuperSonics" and "NBA expansion." On Tuesday, June 23, they both lit up.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told The Dan Patrick Show that Seattle and Las Vegas remain the league's two expansion targets, with a specific timeline attached for the first time. "If we expand, at least we're thinking '28-29 season," Silver said.

For Smidt, who helps run Simply Seattle, the shop is already stocked. "It's the only place in town where you can walk into a store and buy gear for a team that doesn't exist," he told KOMO News.

Silver's comments land while Seattle is hosting FIFA World Cup matches that have packed the city's streets with international crowds. Peter Tomozawa, chair of the Seattle World Cup organizing committee, connected the dots: "We love sports, and we're going to welcome the SuperSonics back."

Silver cautioned that expansion is not guaranteed. He has said the league could add two teams, one, or none, and that the NBA Board of Governors expects to make a decision by the end of the 2026 calendar year.

The infrastructure is largely in place. Climate Pledge Arena, the $1.15 billion privately funded venue at Seattle Center (built for the 1962 World's Fair), has hosted 144 basketball games including four NBA preseason contests.

The Seattle City Council passed Resolution 32198 on April 2 by a 5-0 vote, formally declaring the city and the arena NBA-ready.

On the ownership side, Samantha Holloway, majority owner of the Kraken and One Roof Sports and Entertainment, retained JPMorgan Chase and Moelis & Co. to structure a potential bid.

Melinda French Gates joined One Roof as a minority investor on June 1, her first stake in a major professional sports franchise. The ownership group also includes Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Silver praised Holloway in March, telling KOMO News: "I know Sam well. I knew her father very well. I know they're doing a fantastic job with the Kraken."

Bill Foley, the UW Law School graduate who owns the Vegas Golden Knights, announced June 22 that he is pursuing the Las Vegas franchise with Morgan Stanley as financial adviser. ESPN's Shams Charania has reported the expansion fee could range from $7 billion to $10 billion per team.

The NBA Board of Governors approved exploration of expansion in March, hiring investment bank PJT Partners to evaluate markets, ownership groups, and arenas. Silver indicated the league won't be ready to vote at the summer Board of Governors meeting during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July, pushing any formal action into the fall.

The City Council unanimously approved Resolution 32205 on June 9, calling for a 2027 bond measure to fund infrastructure upgrades at the Seattle Center campus. Councilmember Rob Saka said the city is "putting forward a concrete plan and schedule, committing to specific actions that back our stated values with tangible investment."

Seattle has been without an NBA team since the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008. The city retained rights to the Sonics' name, colors, and history.