This isn’t the long-awaited return of NBA basketball to the Emerald City, but it will do for now. As Seattle looks to acquire an NBA team after seeing its beloved Sonics relocate to Oklahoma City after the 2007-08, one of the franchise’s best players will return next fall.
According to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee, the Golden State Warriors will take on the Sacramento Kings in a preseason game at Seattle’s Key Arena during the 2018-19 NBA preseason. Assuming he re-signs with the Warriors, that means Kevin Durant will return to the city where it all started. Durant played one season in Seattle before the franchise moved on to Oklahoma City following his rookie campaign.
It’s long been noted that Seattle has been looking to become an NBA city once again. In fact, the Kings were close to moving to the Pacific Northwest prior to that falling through a few years back. Whether this is an indication that the NBA is on board with an expansion team or another squad relocating to Seattle remains to be seen. But it’s a nice initial step.