Ferguson Met With Adam Silver as Seattle Pushes for NBA Return

Gov. Bob Ferguson met virtually with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on November 5 as he continued advocating for the SuperSonics’ return. Jake Goldstein-Street reported the meeting for the Washington State Standard on November 5, 2026, with Ferguson’s spokesperson Brionna Aho confirming the conversation. Read the original report for the source coverage.

A confirmed conversation, not a league decision

Ferguson’s office initiated the contact and arranged the 2 p.m. meeting. Aho described continued dialogue about potential Seattle expansion and the governor’s commitment to bringing the Sonics back. The report also included an email from Aho about Ferguson’s childhood connection to the team.

Goldstein-Street identified the November discussion as Ferguson’s third meeting with Silver in 2026, after conversations in February and March. It therefore adds a confirmed meeting to the governor’s ongoing advocacy, separate from the optimism he expressed during the summer. The office’s account does not establish that the NBA has committed to Seattle, accepted a bid or awarded the city a franchise.

The report is retrospective October-November context for this November 11 article, not a new meeting or breaking announcement. In remarks to reporters on November 4, Ferguson said he was confident in Seattle’s case and its arena while acknowledging that he could not predict discussions among NBA owners. Those comments describe his position before the meeting; they do not show that Silver accepted a bid during it.

Expansion exploration is still only exploration

The NBA’s March 25 official announcement authorized the examination of potential expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas. It said adviser PJT Partners would evaluate markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure and economic implications. That process is not approval for a new Seattle team, and no selected owner, expansion fee, vote outcome, decision deadline or first-season timeline is confirmed here.

Readers can revisit Ferguson’s earlier public advocacy for context. The November 5 reporting adds a documented conversation to that record, while the question of whether Seattle receives an NBA franchise remains unresolved.

Source: Jake Goldstein-Street, Washington State Standard — original report, November 5, 2026.

Cover image: illustrative basketball photography from Unsplash; it does not depict the reported person or event.