NBA fans in Seattle feel very angry and disappointed following the NBA Board of Governors’ vote to keep the Kings in Sacramento, and rightfully so. Only a few months ago the Sacramento Kings moving to Seattle looked like a foregone conclusion. I have written on the Seattle-Sacramento-Kings situation a few times before (here and here), with the Cliffs Notes version reading that the only sensible solution is one where both Seattle and Sacramento have teams.

On May 15, 2013, the NBA Board of Governors voted by a 22-8 count to deny Chris Hansen’s bid to relocate the Kings’ to Seattle (while not voting on the proposed sale). While the Kings have since been sold to Vivek Ranadive’s group and will remain in Sacramento, and the story has been rehashed all over the web, the purpose of this article is to look forward, not backward. Before we do that, however, here’s some of what we’ve learned from the Kings situation:

- David Stern still harbors a grudge against Seattle.

- The NBA’s new edict to keep teams from relocating at all costs (conveniently instituted immediately after the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City) means relocation of another team to Seattle does not appear to be realistic anytime soon.

With all this being said, Sonics' fans should have hope, as many significant steps were laid for the return of the NBA to Seattle, which will occur sooner rather than later. Why the optimistic view? Here’s why:

1. The League Was Reminded that Seattle is a Fantastic NBA Market. The old adage out-of-sight, out-of-mind is based in truth. Well, Chris Hansen, Steve Ballmer and the rest of the Seattle ownership group importantly reminded the NBA that the Seattle market is simply too good to be left vacant. Five years have passed since the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City, and naturally with some time having passed, a Sonics-less NBA had been becoming more and more engrained in the NBA world. However, over the past few months, Seattle has forced its way onto the NBA radar in a big way. While the Kings will ultimately not move there, the talk of the Kings moving to Seattle for the past several months did serve a meaningful purpose in reminding the NBA loud and clear that Seattle needs to have its Sonics returned.

2. The Seattle Ownership Group & Arena Plan are Absurdly Strong. Let’s see, Steve Ballmer’s net worth exceeds $15 billion dollars.  That’s $15 BILLION DOLLARS! You think the NBA wants someone with such wealth and stature in the league? Me too. As for the arena, the design looks to be state-of-the-art, and upon obtaining an NBA team, not much remains as a roadblock to having the arena built. When viewing the proposed ownership group and arena plan together, very few existing NBA teams can match what Seattle has in place.

3. $$$$$. While the potential bidding war for the Kings didn’t quite happen because David Stern said so, the league owners were made well aware that the Hansen/Ballmer group would be willing to pay a pretty penny for a team. So hello expansion! Let’s assume a price tag of $600 million dollars for an expansion team - this would mean $20 million per owner. Yes, the owners would have to carve out another piece of the revenue pie to a new 31st team, but if you run the numbers (even accounting for the next TV deal increasing substantially), the $20 million up-front payment to each team should make this enticing to the owners, enough to allow the Hansen/Ballmer group into the exclusive club.

4. David Stern’s Remaining Tenure Can Be Measured In Months. No matter whom you ask, the response will be the same – David Stern is not a friend of the NBA’s return to Seattle. If you need any proof, listen to the first sentence out of David Stern’s mouth at the press conference following the relocation vote. But, from what we have seen so far from Adam Silver, his replacement in waiting, the new commissioner does not share the same icy relationship with Seattle. Further, Silver’s comments at the same press conference indicate an appreciation for the Seattle market and a genuine desire to get the NBA back to Seattle. It should be expected that Silver will look to carve out his own path as commissioner, rather than serve as Stern’s lackey. We won’t know for certain until Silver takes the helm, but all evidence points to Silver having a net positive impact on the NBA’s return to Seattle. Too bad the same thing can’t be said for David Stern.

So Seattle NBA fans, there are legitimate reasons to have hope. But, patience will be required. With all of this in mind, what exactly needs to happen in the meantime? Let’s break this into two groups:

Chris Hansen/Steve Ballmer:

The Seattle ownership group needs to focus on two key tasks. First, the group needs to maintain close contact with the league office, and most specifically, Adam Silver. The league is in the process of opening up negotiations with the TV networks for the next TV contract, and it’s not unreasonable to think that the new TV deal will be agreed within the next year or so. The NBA has stated on multiple occasions that it will take a close look at expansion once negotiations for the next TV deal are completed (not when the existing TV deal expires in 2016), so it may be as soon as one year before the league looks at expansion.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, the ownership group needs to continue dialogue with the other NBA owners. This is critical because it’s the owners that ultimately say yay or nay on expansion. Remember that the vote against the Seattle relocation was 22-8, not 30-0. If you disregard the Maloofs’ vote (they had a vote in the relocation), then you still have seven owners who were in favor of the move to Seattle. This is a very important piece of information to consider, as it means that the Hansen/Ballmer group has allies among the owners. Hansen/Ballmer need to continue to lobby these owners to help them with expansion. In addition, there are strong rumblings that a handful of other owners were in favor of the move, but were ultimately convinced to vote against the move by Stern. So within the BOG, there are owners who support Seattle, and the Hansen/Ballmer group needs to get them on board with expansion. If Hansen/Ballmer can get the BOG on board, expansion will happen, and thus, Hansen/Ballmer need to focus on gaining league-wide support from the owners for expansion.

Sonics Fans:

For the fans, the tasks at hand require less explanation. First, easier said than done, keep up the support. Admittedly, it’s hard based on what has transpired, but don’t give up the faith. The Sonics’ return is close to happening, believe it. And once the NBA does return, all of the sweat and emotion put into this cause will have been worthwhile. Second, Sonics fans need to do their part to keep the political climate in Seattle favorable to the NBA’s return and the new arena. For a starting point, there is an upcoming mayoral election, and Sonics fans need to galvanize the Seattle voters to keep an NBA friendly mayor at the helm of the city.

For a moment, I’m going to take off my journalist hat and put on my Sonics hat. Sonics fans, I’m one of you. I grew up with the team, and their run in the 1990’s was one of my most memorable sports experiences to date. Together we need to continue to fight for the Sonics’ return. We need to provide our support to the Hansen/Ballmer group. They’re in it for the long haul, and we fans need to be as well. Brian Robinson and company, keep up the great work at Sonics Rising. I encourage all NBA fans, not just Sonics fans, to take a look at the Sonics Rising page at SB Nation. As you will see, Seattle’s passion for the Sonics is very real. Quite frankly, the level of support is remarkable based on how the NBA has treated Seattle these past five years. I know the Kings process was disturbing on many fronts, and I’m not a fan of moral victories, but in this case, quite a bit was done in terms of furthering the return of the NBA to Seattle. I have no inside knowledge on this, but I do believe that the Sonics will be playing again in Seattle within the next five years, and that an expansion team will be announced within the next 2-3 years. We’re very close - just hang in there a bit longer, and we will be rewarded. And if/when you feel like giving up, think about the younger generation growing up in Seattle. They deserve the chance to grow up with the Sonics just as we did, and our perseverance will be worth it once our team finally returns.

Alright, to wrap up, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the Sonics return, despite what transpired with the Kings. Look forward, not back, and hang in there. The plan is very simple: at the next BOG meeting, Chris Hansen will march into the room and put a $20 million check on each owner’s chair, and that will be that.  j/k  But in all seriousness, it’s a matter of when, not if, for the Sonics’ return, and it will be oh so sweet once they do.  I’d love to hear from you if you have any comments. I can be reached by email at nhodjat@gmail.com and you can follow me on Twitter at @NeemaHodjat.