Local

NBA commissioner: Seattle on ‘short list' of contenders for team in ‘inevitable' expansion

FILE - JUNE 26: Commissioner of the NBA Adam Silver attends the 2017 NBA Awards live on TNT on June 26, 2017 in New York, New York. 27111_003 (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for TNT)

NBA commissioner Adam Silver made comments about Seattle being on the list of contenders for a team when the league considers expansion again.

In an interview with Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum on "The Players Tribune" that was published on Tuesday, Silver said it's just a question of when.

>> Read what the selection of an influential investor for KeyArena means for Seattle here 

"I don't want to put a precise timeline on it, but it's inevitable at some point,” Silver said. “We'll start looking at growth of franchises. That's always been the case in this league, and Seattle will no doubt be on a short list of cities we look at.”

A final decision on either site is not expected until at least December. Scroll down to read more about Seattle arenas under interview.

The city of Seattle remains torn between official arena plans: to renovate the KeyArena or go along with investor Chris Hansen's longtime dream of opening a facility in SODO.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray chose influential investor group Oak View Group in May to renovate 55-year-old KeyArena. The group’s vison basically rebuilds the facility except for the roof.

>> PHOTOS: See renderings and site plans from OVG here. 

TRENDING NOW:

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP

With Mayor Ed Murray not running for re-election, it will be up to the next mayor to see the $564 million KeyArena renovation project.

The plans to renovate KeyArena have drawn criticism from those who prefer the SODO arena proposal, which the Seattle City Council voted down in 2016.

But even with the council vote and the plans to renovate KeyArena, an investor involved with the Sonics Arena group told KIRO Radio that Hansen's SODO plan isn't dead.

TRENDING NOW:

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP