Committee advances 'Seattle Ready' resolution, showcases city pitch for NBA expansion

The Transportation, Waterfront and Seattle Center Committee convened a community roundtable on April 2, 2026 to show the city's case for an NBA expansion team and voted unanimously to recommend passage of Resolution 32198 to the full Council.

Chair Rob Saka opened the session by saying the city was "stepping up and taking specific, concrete actions" to demonstrate readiness and introduced a panel that included the Deputy Mayor, former NBA players, fan organizers and Climate Pledge Arena leaders. The roundtable was intended to "showcase our readiness to welcome back the Sonics," Saka said.

Deputy Mayor (self-identified) told the committee Climate Pledge Arena was built to be "NBA ready" and described the arena project as a privately financed solution that preserved public ownership of the land while transferring construction risks to private partners. "We are ready," the Deputy Mayor said, arguing the city had delivered a venue and partnerships that align with league expectations.

Panelists and fan leaders described deep, long-running local support for an NBA franchise. Bryan Robinson, founder of Save Our Sonics and Storm, urged managing expectations and reminded officials "this deal is not done." Former NBA player Spencer Haas highlighted the region's cross-generational mentorship and outreach, saying the local basketball culture "never died" and that reconnecting youth to the sport is central to the city's case.

Representatives from Climate Pledge Arena described operational readiness, saying the facility has hosted hundreds of events since reopening and that a locker-room fit-out for an NBA team is ready to be built out as needed. The arena's operators said they aim to add more guaranteed dates and integrate a franchise into existing community programming.

After the roundtable, Chair Saka moved that the committee recommend passage of Resolution 32198, which affirms the city's interest in partnering with the NBA and regional stakeholders to bring professional basketball back to Seattle. The motion was seconded and the clerk recorded five votes in favor, none opposed; the committee's recommendation will be sent to the City Council meeting on April 7, 2026.

Public commenters offered contrasting perspectives. In-person speaker Aaron Price urged more community engagement around an unrelated neighborhood parking change, saying the "impact is real" for seniors and people with disabilities. Remote commenter David Hanes raised broader complaints about arena construction and incentives and made several accusations about local projects and officials; the remarks were recorded in the public comment period without a departmental response during the meeting.

The committee said the roundtable and resolution are part of a coordinated strategy to present Seattle as a prepared, community-aligned market should the NBA pursue expansion. The Council's April 7 agenda will include the committee's recommendation for formal consideration.

The committee adjourned after additional items on bridge repairs and scheduled its next meeting for April 16, 2026.