Seattle ownership group wants NBA franchise after NHL expansion bid

If the NHL decides to plant its 32nd team in Seattle, expect the ownership group in question to then vie for an NBA franchise.

Oak View Group, the organization that has already submitted a $10-million payment to the NHL as part of its bid for an expansion franchise, wants it to be known they intend to throw in their name for a potential NBA team if the opportunity arises following their hockey bid.

"The answer is 'absolutely'," investment banker David Bonderman said, according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN. "If there is a franchise to be had from the NBA, we want to be up there fighting for it for Seattle."

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Spearheaded by Bonderman alongside film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer and CEO Tim Leiweke (who previously held the same role with Anschutz Entertainment Group in Los Angeles and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in Toronto), Oak View Group will begin a season-ticket drive Thursday for fans interested in the prospective NHL franchise.

Leiweke, who in December said the city would eventually have an NBA team again, says the ownership group is already planning to entice the NBA through the feasibility of a future Seattle franchise.

"The way we are going to structure all of our contractually obligated income is making sure there will be revenue upside built in should the NBA ever consider Seattle," Leiweke said. "We are committed to making sure the building, all of our contracts, all of our partnerships and all of our relationships, are done in a way that we can maximize value."

The city previously held an NBA franchise in the Seattle SuperSonics from 1967-2008, though the team was controversially relocated to become the Oklahoma City Thunder to begin the 2008-09 season. In July, commissioner Adam Silver revealed Seattle was on the league's "shortlist" for an inevitable expansion.