[Hot Rod]

I seriously doubt the NBA will return to Seattle for a number of reasons. While the owner of the NBA OKC Thunder likely wanted to move the franchise to OKC all along, it was Seattle and WA that gave him the go-ahead on not building a new arena or seriously starting over at KeyArena. Yes, I am saying this as a Seattle resident (but born in OKC). The owner would have either made a killing in Seattle or sold it and got another team in OKC, but it was US who let the Sonics go or at least made it easier for Bennett to move.

As for Vancouver, I DO think Van City will get a team. You already have a very viable arena and a huge market (also include Seattle [and maybe Calgary/AB] in this market catchment, by the way since WE always like to include Vancouver [and Portland] in our NFL, MLB catchment). There doesn't need to be any more corporate presence than what Vancouver already has, sponsorships do not need to be local and I'm sure Vancouver would have no problem getting national/world corporate advertisers and sponsors.

The key is - Vancouver needs ownership committed to getting a team back much like OKC had with the Thunder and (drumroll) Memphis with stealing the Grizz away in the first place. It was the OWNER in both of these situations that made it happen, both SEA and VAN made it easier for the owner to do it but ownership with dollars, vision, and patience is what is needed. There are plenty of cities around the NBA whose teams are in jeopardy due to arena and/or profitability - with Alquini + Nash ownership (along with Nash as the GM), you can bet that Vancouver NBA team would be highly successful in due time especially if the team can get rising stars internationally (Toronto model) or luck out in the draft and develop those players (OKC model). Seattle is often the posterchild for relocations but honestly I seriously doubt any team will come back here even after a new arena MIGHT get built (and that aint even for sure) given the bad blood.

Me personally, I would have preferred that OKC just kept the Hornets franchise but that would have been a blow to New Orleans who already had a huge natural disaster - so the NBA wanted to avoid that PR hit and instead allow Clay Bennett to rid the NBA of a hostile, elitist city with a piss poor arena and Seattle allowed it to happen. No joke - this is unlike Vancouver in that there was little choice in the Grizz leaving. Sonics left because Seattle felt like KeyArena was comparable to other very profitable NBA arenas (Staples, OKC's Chesapeake, even Vancouver's Rogers then GM Place - all better arenas from the $$ prospective). Sometimes, the bed you make - you have to sleep in it and that is how I feel about Seattle and the NBA; there won't be any more copulation since both feel burned by the other. Go for it Vancouver!