The Seattle Seahawks were put up for sale at just the right time, leading to a dominant victory in the Super Bowl and turning the franchise into a perennial contender. It is expected that this will be a record breaking deal.

ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reported that the Seahawks are expected to be sold for a little more than $9 billion, breaking the NFL’s record for the highest sale price ever.

READ MORE: 2026 NFL Power Rankings, see where the Seahawks rank

In 2022, the Denver Broncos were sold for $4.65 billion to a group that also included Walmart heir Rob Walton. A year later, Josh Harris led the group that purchased the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion.

It’s notable that the estimated $9 billion price tag is considered weaker than many owners around the NFL were expecting. When the Eagles were originally put up for sale, the league reportedly expected the franchise to be sold for more than $10 billion in 2025, to match how much the Los Angeles Lakers were sold for.

READ MORE: 2026 NFL defense rankings, including Seahawks

Complicating factors in the Seahawks’ sale process

While the Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl champions and are located in a great media market with a strong fan base, there are a few factors complicating a potential deal.

Mainly, there are plenty of billionaires who have both the liquidity to purchase an NFL franchise and the interest in doing so. According to league rules, at least 30 percent of the bid must be cash as advance payment. With an estimated cost of $9 billion, this means a majority owner would need to put up $3 billion to gain the league’s approval.

Partnerships with private equity firms could help in that regard, but those funds can only have a 10 percent stake in an NFL franchise. The league won’t approve private equity funds to buy a stake in a franchise until 2024, but they’re still capped at that 10 percent mark.

Additionally, there is a high chance that the NBA will add an expansion franchise in Seattle in the coming years. It would cost between $7 billion and $10 billion, making it a potentially comparable or even more expensive option for billionaires looking to acquire major equity in a pro sports team in Seattle.

Once the Seahawks were sold, the proceeds would go to Paul G. Will be given to the Allen Family Foundation and then distributed among the many charities and organizations that the late Allen supported.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for SportsKnow. His work including weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

On Saturday night, the UFC will head to the West Coast in Seattle for another edition of UFC Fight Night.

The card is scheduled to take place at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. UFC Fight Night will be headlined by a bout at 185 pounds, when former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya faces Joe Pifer. “The Last Stylebender” will aim to break a three-fight losing streak. His last win came against Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in April 2023.

Below, you can see all the UFC Fight Night results and fight-ending highlights.

UFC Seattle results (preliminaries)

Alexia Thenara (-700) vs. Bruna Brazil (+500)

Ricky Simon (-185) vs. Adrian Yanez (+160)

Navajo Sterling (-600) vs. Bruno Lopes (+450)

Casey O’Neal (-125) vs. Gabriela Fernandes (+105)

Marcin Tybura (+112) vs. Tyrell Fortune (-132)

Chase Hooper (-330) vs. Lance Gibson Jr. (+270)

Ignacio Bahamondes (-310) vs. Tofiq Mosayev (+260)

UFC Fight Night Results (Main Card)

Terrence McKinney (-180) vs. Kyle Nelson (+155)

Mansour Abdul-Malik (-137) vs. Yousri Belgaraoui (+117)

Julian Erosa (+285) vs. Larian Douglas (-350)

Michael Chiesa (-900) vs. Nico Price (+600)

Alexa Grasso (+160) vs. Alexa Grasso (+160) Macy Barber (-185)

Israel Adesanya (-138) vs. Joe Pfeifer (+118)

Born and raised in New York City, Jimmy Robles received a journalism degree from Queens College in 2017. Before… More About Jimmy Robles

The NBA Board of Governors approved a vote Wednesday to explore the possibility of adding two new expansion franchises specifically in the Las Vegas and Seattle markets, the league announced.

As part of the standard process for exploring expansion, the NBA will evaluate all aspects of each potential market, including hearing proposals from potential ownership groups that want to start an expansion franchise.

As the vote was finalized with NBA governors and stakeholders in New York on Wednesday, Silver addressed the ongoing speculation about what the expansion means for the league as a whole. While Silver was clearly very optimistic about the expansion aspect in his press conference, he also made it clear that nothing is a given when it comes to this topic.

“There’s absolutely a possibility that we may not be able to expand. That’s why we were careful to say ‘explore the process.’ It’s also possible that we may expand into one market and not two. For two, or zero markets,” Silver said.

There is much more to a potential expansion than just the formation of a new franchise, and Silver acknowledged as much in his press conference in New York City on Wednesday afternoon.

In terms of why a level of skepticism still exists for the possibility of a Las Vegas and Seattle expansion, the NBA Commissioner explained that owners would still need to approve the final transaction, and real-world issues that arise could potentially push back the timing of the final expansion.

Silver said, “Why that might not happen, at least standing here today, I don’t see anything in the relatively short-term future of this league that would indicate that there wouldn’t be a lot of interest in those markets and the board would continue to be supportive going forward. I should say, at the right time, it would require three-quarters of the owners supporting it.” “But we will not be moving forward at this step, and in fairness to interested parties, that was one of the reasons we wanted to make this formal announcement, because wherever those prices land, it is a huge undertaking.

“Normally, it’s not just a single owner. It’s a group that requires financing, arena planning, etc. So, where the uncertainty for me lies in the issues outside the league. There is huge instability in the world at the moment, and we may ultimately conclude for reasons completely out of our control that it is not the right time to expand. That is something we should postpone and revisit at a later time.

“That’s really our warning.”

A potential final vote for expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle will be held later this year, which would officially take the league from 30 to 32 teams. In doing so, a team from the Western Conference would move into the Eastern Conference to balance the league at 16 teams on the opposite end.

It is expected that either the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Memphis Grizzlies will move east, with the Timberwolves seen as the likely favorite in this scenario.

As the formal expansion process officially begins, further updates on NBA expansion will be provided by Silver and the league office at a later date.

The NBA Board of Governors has approved a vote to explore the possibility of adding two new expansion franchises specifically in the Las Vegas and Seattle markets, as first reported by ESPN.

As a result of approving this vote, the bidding process to launch expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle will officially begin, and is expected to generate offers in the $7 billion to $10 billion range for each new franchise.

The process will involve the NBA along with investment bank PJT Partners as a strategic advisor to evaluate potential markets, ownership groups, sector infrastructure and the macroeconomic implications of the expansion.

“Today’s vote reflects our board’s interest in exploring potential expansion in Las Vegas and Seattle – two markets with long histories of supporting NBA basketball,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in the league’s press release. “We look forward to taking the next steps and engaging with interested parties.”

The idea of ​​NBA expansion is no longer a consideration, as the board has officially begun the process of a 32-team league, with high-ranking executives telling ESPN that it’s a matter of “when, not if.”

At this time, there is no timeline for potential expansion bids to be evaluated or accepted, but given the amount of interest there is in these markets for NBA expansion, the process is expected to move quickly.

There was growing momentum among NBA board members, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, and members of the league office to approve this notion of expansion, especially with the revenue generated by new teams in Las Vegas and Seattle.

A potential final vote for expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle will be held later this year, which would officially take the league from 30 to 32 teams.

If Seattle makes a bid and is accepted, the NBA would welcome the return of the Seattle SuperSonics, who were disbanded when the franchise moved to Oklahoma and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If the SuperSonics were to return, all of their records and team history would be handed over to them by the Thunder, who do not already recognize the previous team’s success as their own.

Along with Seattle, Las Vegas has long been viewed as the next stomping ground for a new NBA franchise, especially considering how long the league has been doing business with the city.

Not only has the NBA Summer League been held in Las Vegas during the offseason since 2004, but the NBA Cup has also held its semifinal and final rounds in Las Vegas since beginning in 2023.

The WNBA moved its San Antonio franchise to Las Vegas in 2018, becoming the Las Vegas Aces, and the NHL established the Las Vegas Knights as an expansion team in 2016.

MLB also officially announced the relocation of the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas in 2023, and they are building a new $2 billion stadium that is expected to be ready for the 2028 season.

With the NBA officially taking the next step to add two new franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas, the conversation has now turned to which current Western Conference franchises will move to the Eastern Conference to balance the league at 16 teams per conference.

It is expected that either the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Memphis Grizzlies will move east, with the Timberwolves seen as the likely favorite in this scenario.

Kevin Durant is not expected to finish his career in Seattle, even as the NBA moves toward a potential expansion that could bring a franchise back to the city.

The league is reportedly targeting both Las Vegas and Seattle for expansion, with a Board of Governors meeting scheduled for next week where an initial vote is expected to take place. Seattle, where the SuperSonics were based before the franchise relocated in 2008, has long been seen as a leading candidate for a comeback.

This possibility has naturally given rise to speculation about Durant, who was originally drafted by Seattle in 2007, possibly ending his career where it began. However, a recent report from The Ringer’s Michael Lee suggests that outcome is unlikely.

Lee wrote, “With the NBA potentially trying to add an expansion franchise in Seattle in 2028 – when he is set to become a free agent and will turn 40 – Durant could be setting himself up for a potential storybook ending with the SuperSonics, the organization that drafted him.”

” But Durant has never been interested in getting back to where he was. When he approached free agency in 2016, he fended off overwhelming offers from his hometown Wizards, and he rejected a deal that would have reunited him with the Warriors last season. He may be more open to nostalgia because being on the Rockets has brought him back to Texas, where he starred in college. But even Joe Athletes are able to leave sports on their own terms, they don’t always choose the ending that makes the most sense, if that were the case, Jordan would have stopped playing after Brian Russell’s bust in 1998.

Kevin Durant focused on Rockets’ playoff push amid Seattle speculation

Durant, now with the Houston Rockets, is focusing on the present as Houston continues its push into the Western Conference. The Rockets currently have a record of 41-26, which ranks them in fourth place in the standings after a 100-92 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

The 37-year-old has continued to produce at an excellent level in his 17th NBA season. Through 64 games, Durant is averaging 25.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, while shooting 51.4% from the field, 40.2% from three-point range and 88.6% from the free-throw line in 36.5 minutes per contest.

While the idea of ​​a return to Seattle may hold sentimental appeal, Durant’s career decisions have historically prioritized fit and competitiveness over nostalgia.

For now, his focus is on helping Houston maintain its position in the competitive Western Conference race. The Rockets will try to respond in a rematch against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night at 6:30 pm PT as they continue a five-game homestand.

The Seattle Seahawks may have won the Super Bowl last season, but that doesn’t mean anything anymore. Once the 2026 NFL season begins, every team will be in the same spot, without wins and losses. But the offseason is where championship teams are made, and Seahawks general manager John Schneider is doing his best to put Seattle in position to repeat.

The Seahawks have their work cut out for them. They’ve already lost offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak to the Raiders. Other losses, such as the signing of starting cornerback Rick Woolen with the Eagles, would lead to roster changes. On Tuesday, the Seahawks may have found their replacement for Woolen.

According to ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Seahawks have signed cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to the roster. No contract details provided.

Still, the Seahawks are getting a 26-year-old former first-round pick in Igbinoghene, the 30th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent the first three seasons of his career as a member of the Dolphins before being traded to the Cowboys. Once he reached free agency for the first time, Igbinoghene signed with the Commanders, where he has spent the last two seasons.

Interestingly, Igbinoghene has only started 17 of his 69 appearances in the NFL. Clearly, Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald sees something interesting in the 5-foot-11, 197-pound cornerback.

Igbinoghene made two starts in 15 appearances at Washington last season, recording 35 tackles (1 TFL), five pass deflections and one sack. He has recorded one interception in his NFL career, which came in 2022. He will definitely try to get more opportunities in Seattle.

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Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

After operating as a 30-team league for decades, the NBA is betting on adding two franchises by the 2028-2029 season, with Las Vegas and Seattle the clear leaders.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, a vote will be held next week on the possibility of expanding the league to 32 teams.

“The pace for stakeholders to approve the survey is based on what industry executives will bid in the range of $7 to $10 billion for each team,” Charania said.

“If the bids reach the required threshold the 32 teams will have a potential final vote at the end of the year to finalize the transaction. In both voting rounds, 23 of the 30 governors would have to vote in favor.”

There have been long-running discussions about starting a team in Las Vegas, with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James even rumored to be one of the owners, as it has rapidly emerged as one of the biggest sports cities in the country.

A return to Seattle, meanwhile, would restore the NBA to one of its hottest markets. The Seattle SuperSonics played in the league from 1967 to 2008 and won the title in 1979, before the franchise became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Of course, there are logistical issues to discuss, including accommodating conferences and schedules. Some, including Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, have argued that the NBA needs to reduce its games, and adding two more teams could do the opposite.

As the league continues to grow in popularity and globalization, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has often stressed the need to innovate and adopt reforms, emphasizing that expansion has always been a consideration.

The next few days will be important for the future of the NBA.

As the NBA considers expansion ideas, the conversation in Seattle has naturally turned to which players will ultimately wear the green and gold. Although the league has not yet formally approved new franchises, the groundwork is being laid near the Space Needle. When the SuperSonics finally return, they’ll need cornerstone pieces, and a former Rainier Beach High standout is making a compelling case to be at the top of the wish list. Dejounte Murray makes perfect sense as a target and the New Orleans Pelicans may be willing to make a win-win deal.

Murray was very active on social media and cheering on the Seahawks during their Super Bowl run. The Sounders and Mariners have also gotten some love recently. Financially, his contract would be perfect for an expansion team over the next two seasons. If the NBA takes longer to make a decision, City’s connection could lead to an extension of the 29-year-old’s relatively cheap $30 million player option for 2027-28.

When asked about what caught special attention among the starting five introductions in his first game in 13 months, the former All-Star made sure to mention Seattle several times.

“I mean, save me for last. Call me first. It doesn’t matter. I’m in the NBA, you know, a kid from Seattle. So it’s, it’s a blessing,” Murray shared. “I have a lot of emotions, you know what I’m saying? I had my family here. So, yeah, I’m definitely grateful.”

“Man, (coming back from injury rehab) was great. Like I said, you know, I’m a kid from Seattle. I’m in the NBA, and what I’ve been through, like, I’ve been through a lot,” Murray said. “But I have no excuses. I keep my chest out, chin up, keep smiling and I’m just ready to see where it goes from here. I know God has some great things in store for me on and off the field.”

For a Seattle startup that will need to sell tickets, jerseys and hopes of opening day, there’s no better first target than that kid from Rainier Beach who has never stopped visiting his hometown.

No team should be happier than the Seattle Seahawks after coming off a stunning win in Super Bowl LX. However, like every other NFL team, there is still work to do before the next season begins.

Part of that process includes filling out the coaching staff after seeing offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Now that the Seahawks have hired their replacement playcaller, Brian Fleury, they can focus on the roster.

There will be a number of decisions made on key free agents whose prices are sure to have increased following Seattle’s successful playoff run. Players with expiring contracts include Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III and All-Pro receiver/returner Rashid Shahid.

However, according to Martyr, he would “love” to sign a contract extension that would keep him in Seattle for years to come. He recently acknowledged this in a conversation with NFL.com’s Judy Battista and NFL Network, saying he would like to “run it back” with his teammates.

“Absolutely, absolutely, yes,” said Shaheed. “The conversation is definitely going to heat up by March. But you know, I’d love to come back. I love the experience here, I love the Pacific Northwest, and obviously, the organization is second to none. I want to get back to running it. We just won the Super Bowl, so, you know, why not?”

The 27-year-old Martyr will certainly draw interest from other teams in free agency as well. So, if the Seahawks are serious about keeping him in town, they may want to negotiate a new deal and see what he’s really worth before allowing him to hit the open market.

RELATED: Seattle Seahawks set to lose Super Bowl star?

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

Unlike the other 31 NFL franchises, the Seattle Seahawks were able to end their season on a high note by celebrating victory in Super Bowl LX. However, after several players had career years while gaining valuable playoff experience, the Seahawks will have to make some difficult decisions this offseason. They may also feel forced to say goodbye to a hero.

According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Seahawks are “unlikely” to place the franchise tag on upcoming free agent running back Kenneth Walker III.

The Super Bowl LX MVP had an incredible postseason performance, rushing for 376 yards and five touchdowns on just 80 attempts for an average of 4.7 yards per carry. This includes a heroic performance on a 135-yard run in Super Bowl LX.

Now, he’s ready to make money as a free agent. Spotrac plans to sign Walker to a $9 million per season contract. The franchise tag for the running back is expected to be around $14 million this offseason. Meanwhile, Walker has earned a total of $8.44 million in his four-year NFL career.

Walker, 25, will be one of the top free agent running backs available this offseason. If the Seahawks can’t agree on his value, another team will surely make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid running backs.

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Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ