Sonics’ possible return takes slight step forward as NBA mulls expansion

LAS VEGAS — After months of saying expansion was going to be discussed by its owners, NBA commissioner Adam Silver came out with a message Tuesday night that started the process and at the same time continued drawing out the conversations about whether the NBA and the SuperSonics may someday return.

Silver announced that the league’s Board of Governors has authorized two existing committees of owners to work with the league on beginning in-depth analysis around the economic and non-economic impacts of expansion.

Silver deemed the decision to have the committees start the research a “significant step,” and “something we were not able to do before.”

But he cautioned throughout that it was a complicated issue that needed significant analysis of the financial implications of potentially selling equity in the league and the possible impact to the on-court product by adding more teams to the portfolio. It also comes as the league is attempting its own branded expansion in Europe and dealing with concerns about local and regional media rights issues within many of its markets.

“A lot of analysis still needs to be done and nothing’s been predetermined one way or another and without any specific timeline,” Silver said. “We’re going to be as thorough as possible and look at all the potential issues.”

The surprise in Silver’s announcement was that there wasn’t a true expansion committee formed by the Board of Governors. Traditionally, an expansion committee would do the review and analysis of potential markets and then make a recommendation to the full group of owners about whether to move forward on expanding or not.

Silver said the “advisory finance” committee would have primary jurisdiction over the research and the “audit and strategy” committee would be looking at the economic impact of potential expansion just as the league’s new media rights deals spanning 11 years and $76 billion are set to kick in this fall.