NBA commissioner Adam Silver to meet with Gov. Bob Ferguson before key expansion vote

Ahead of one of the more important meetings in the attempt to see the NBA return to Seattle, the head of the league is having another meeting with the head of Washington state.

Gov. Bob Ferguson’s upcoming schedule of events released on Wednesday listed that the governor and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver would be meeting next Monday afternoon, the day before the league’s owners gather in New York for two days of meetings where expansion is expected to be the primary topic.

Owners are expected to vote next week on whether to start the expansion process. If the vote is approved, Silver would be allowed to negotiate with prospective ownership groups about expansion teams, in Seattle and Las Vegas, which could lead to a final vote to formalize expansion later this year.

This will be the second conversation between Ferguson and Silver after the pair met virtually in early February in what was characterized as an introductory meeting. According to public records, executives with the Seattle Kraken – expected to be one of the groups to pursue a possible franchise – spoke with members of Ferguson’s staff and emphasized the need for the governor’s support in the efforts to bring back the NBA.

The previous meeting also came before the state legislature passed the new Washington tax dubbed the “millionaires tax,” which has been sent to Ferguson for an expected signature.