NBA Seattle: Does expansion news mean SuperSonics are back?

So, does this all mean the Seattle SuperSonics are coming back ? Not necessarily, but the chance did just get a lot better. With the news Wednesday, March 25 that NBA owners had approved the formal exploration of expansion opportunities in Seattle and Las Vegas, the natural question is whether the SuperSonics, the team that eventually relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 to become the Thunder, would be making a reappearance.

In short: the chance is there for a prospective ownership group to take that step, though it’s not a guarantee. According to language in the contract agreement from the franchise’s move to Oklahoma City, which was obtained by NBC King5 in Seattle , the ownership group for the Thunder became prohibited from using the SuperSonics branding, color scheme, logo or any intellectual property. According to the contract, should certain conditions be met under the approval of a new team located in Seattle, the Thunder ownership group will transfer intellectual property, including logos, color scheme, branding and even team history and statistics, to the new ownership group in place.

In fact, there’s even language in the agreement that banners, retired jerseys and trophies may be transferred to the new team owner in Seattle. Any prospective ownership group, however, is under no obligation to reestablish the SuperSonics should an expansion franchise be approved in Seattle, and the NBA would leave it up to the prospective ownership group. It makes logical — if not easy — business sense, though, for new owners to simply reincorporate the SuperSonics back into the NBA.

For one, it takes years of trust, marketing outreach, capital investment and performance to build brand loyalty. Compared to a prospective expansion team in Las Vegas, the Sonics already have that. To that point, it’s not uncommon at NBA games in the Western Conference to occasionally have some fans in attendance with jerseys, flags and gear with the old SuperSonics branding.