Gov. Bob Ferguson, NBA commissioner Adam Silver scheduled to meet on Thursday

Feb. 5, 2026 Updated Thu., Feb. 5, 2026 at 2:23 p.m.

By Tim Booth Seattle Times

There was an interesting note that popped up on the calendar of Gov. Bob Ferguson for Thursday: A meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Ferguson’s calendar listed an 11:15 a.m. meeting with Silver for Thursday, although neither the agenda nor context for the meeting was included.

But a meeting between the head of the NBA and the state leader seemed notable considering what Silver said in December during the NBA Cup when he announced that the league intended to decide in 2026 whether to pursue expansion.

Silver mentioned Seattle and Las Vegas as possible expansion markets of which the league was doing a complete assessment during his comments in December.

“Not a secret we’re looking at this market in Las Vegas. We are looking at Seattle. We’ve looked at other markets, as well. I’d say I want to be sensitive there about this notion that we’re somehow teasing these markets, because I know we’ve been talking about it for a while,” Silver said in December.

A meeting between Silver and the governor shows a different tack between state government officials and the head of the NBA from what happened in the past. There was a somewhat contentious relationship among elected leaders, team owners and then-commissioner David Stern 20 years ago that created some of the friction that led to the departure of the SuperSonics — although at the time, the league and owners of the Sonics were campaigning for public money to help with arena renovations.

Kraken majority owner Samantha Holloway has said multiple times that their ownership group would explore bringing the NBA back to Seattle should the league choose to expand. Climate Pledge Arena was constructed with the idea of eventually hosting an NBA team along with the Kraken and WNBA’s Storm.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.