It's been almost a decade since the city of Seattle lost its NBA franchise when the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008.
However, the city is laying the groundwork for an NBA franchise to possibly return in the future. According to King5, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and the Oak View Group have announced plans to build a $600 million arena at Seattle Center.
Construction for the arena is expected to begin in 2018, and it is expected to be completed by 2020.
The plans for the arena include the possibility of Seattle adding both an NBA and NHL franchise in the next 50 years. The arena is privately funded, so it shouldn't be much of a burden on taxpayers.
While 50 years might sound like a long time, there has already been speculation about the NHL possibly expanding or relocating a team to Seattle. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said there has been interest from the group in owning an NHL team.
"We can confirm the group has expressed strong interest in owning and operating an NHL team," Daly said. "We continue to monitor."
NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the league has no plans to expand or relocate at this time.
But with a brand new arena and a city eager to have an NBA team back, the foundation is certainly there for an NBA team in the future.