Crawford Sees Fresh Hope for Seattle NBA Return

The group, which includes Melinda French Gates and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, is valued near $6 billion and holds majority control of Climate Pledge Arena, the building opened in 2021 that already hosts the WNBA's Seattle Storm and the Kraken.

Arena leverage stands out

Any competing bid would need to build a new venue or reach an agreement with Holloway's company to use the existing arena. Crawford, who grew up working at the former KeyArena site, said the current effort feels different from earlier attempts that followed the Sonics' move after the 2008 season.

Expansion price tags rising

League discussions place the Las Vegas expansion price above $10 billion, plus another $2 billion to $3 billion for a new arena. That figure trails only the $12.5 billion Los Angeles Lakers sale and sits well above the $6.1 billion Boston Celtics deal that could reach $7.3 billion and the $4.5 billion Minnesota Timberwolves sale.

Longtime support remains

Crawford has taken over the city's summer pro-am league and works with other former Sonics players to keep basketball visible. Fans who have waited 17 years continue to wear team gear, and local figures say the market is ready to welcome the league back without rebuilding interest from scratch.