NBA Commissioner Adam Silver blindsides Sonics faithful by floating surprise expansion alternative

Hold on, Adam Silver said what now? The NBA commissioner informed league owners that Seattle is no longer a "lock" for expansion? That's the word according to a new report from ESPN, and if you're a Seattleite, you just spit out your $9 oat-milk latte.

SACRAMENTO MAKES ITS CASE AS MLB'S NEXT EXPANSION CITY, CALLING ITSELF A MARKET TOO BIG TO IGNORE Last March, all 30 of the NBA's owners voted in favor of exploring expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas.

The thought was that this would finally lead to a Sonics return after the team left the Emerald City for Oklahoma City in 2008.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst was on television telling Seattle fans to get excited.

But Friday, Windhorst's latest article left fans exasperated.

The acclaimed NBA reporter wrote that while Silver is a "full-go" on expanding to Vegas, Seattle is far from a guarantee.

The commissioner reportedly mentioned Mexico City as an expansion alternative in a meeting with the board of governors last month.

ROGER GOODELL DETAILS NFL EXPANSION POSSIBILITIES AND A TIMETABLE FOR A FULL SEASON OF INTERNATIONAL GAMES This didn't officially break any promises, but it did seem to violate an unwritten understanding.

It was no accident that the aforementioned owners' vote named Vegas and Seattle exclusively.

The former is one of the world's foremost entertainment capitals, and the latter has a starving fan base and state-of-the-art venue in Climate Pledge Arena.

Just as notably, One Roof Sports — the group spearheading the Sonics' return — recently landed a billionaire backer in Melinda French Gates.

Done deal, right? Not so much.

At the heart of all this is Silver's attempt to increase franchise values across the league.

And right now, the expectation is that bids for a new team in Vegas could exceed $10 billion.