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 hadapproved the formal exploration of expansion opportunitiesin 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 byNBC King5 in Seattle, the ownership group for the Thunder became prohibited from using the SuperSonics branding, color scheme, logo or any intellectual property.
Seattle SuperSonics center Bob Rule (45) shoots against the Cincinnati Royals." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Seattle SuperSonics guard Gary Payton lays the ball up against the Chicago Bulls during the 1996 NBA Finals at Key Arena in June 1996." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Seattle SuperSonics fans stand between plays during the second quarter between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Feb. 13, 2011." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Seattle SuperSonics point guard Gary Payton drives to the basket around Toronto Raptor Damon Stoudamire in the second half at Toronto's Skydome on Nov. 21, 1995." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
New York Knicks forward Phil Jackson, left, forward Dave DeBusschere and Seattle SuperSonics guard Lenny Wilkens in action at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 1971." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Seattle SuperSonics player Shawn Kemp slam dunks the ball for two of his 21 points against the Phoenix Suns during their Western Conference NBA playoff game on May 3, 1997. The Sonics beat the Suns 116-92 to advance to the conference semi-finals against the Houston Rockets." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Seattle SuperSonics center Spencer Haywood in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 1971." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Seattle SuperSonics head coach Tom Nissalke against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1972-73 season at The Omni in Atlanta." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Bill Russell, left, head coach and general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics, talks to fans while waiting to coach the Pacific-8 against the SEC in the first round of the first annual Four-Star Classic at Memorial Gym in Nashville on April 9, 1974." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway (10) in action against Seattle Seattle SuperSonics guard Gary Payton (20) at the Miami Arena on Feb. 28, 1997." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Fans hold a flag for the Seattle SuperSonics during the fourth quarter of a game between the Utah Jazz and LA Clippers at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Oct. 10, 2023." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Seattle SuperSonics guard Butch Beard (21) in action against the Atlanta Hawks at The Omni on Feb. 27, 1973 in Atlanta." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Seattle SuperSonics guard Dennis Johnson passes the ball." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Seattle SuperSonics fan Ervin Fleshman of Edison, Washington holds a sign with his mother Allison (right) during pregame warmups for a game between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings at KeyArena on Oct. 5, 2018." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Former Seattle SuperSonics forward Detlef Schremph shows off a Sonics t-shirt during a pregame between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors at KeyArena in Seattle on Oct. 5, 2018." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Fans are ready for a Seattle SuperSonics return to Emerald City
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.
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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.
And given this rich history — the SuperSonics played 40 seasons in the city and won an NBA Finals in 1979 — it's a near guarantee that basketball fans will once again embrace the brand in the city, which has been without an NBA outfit since 2008; the Seattle Storm, the city's WNBA franchise, held its inaugural season in 2000.
All this to say that it would be a missed opportunity, if not a massive blunder, for a new team to not embrace the Sonics brand.
In a brief conversation with USA TODAY Sports following his press conference Wednesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reiterated that any potential decision to reestablish the SuperSonics brand would be up to the prospective owner, though Silver also acknowledged the wide reach and loyalty fans have to the brand.
"I do a great deal of traveling around the country and the world," Silver said. "And one of the top five, six questions I get, easily, is 'When are the Sonics coming back?' "
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NBA Seattle expansion news: Does this mean SuperSonics are back?