A New York private equity firm wants to build an NBA arena on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. If the bid succeeds, it would bring professional basketball to Snohomish County for the first time.
BlackSun Private Equity announced in mid-August that it is bidding to bring the Seattle SuperSonics back to Washington as an NBA expansion franchise.
The firm has partnered with the Tulalip Tribes and a group called Native World Sports, and is prepared to offer around $8.1 billion.
The Seattle Times first reported the bid. The Daily Herald's local coverage, published Friday, Sept. 4, added interviews with tribal and local leaders.
The proposed arena would sit adjacent to the Tulalip Resort Casino in Snohomish County, about 35 miles north of Seattle.
Tulalip Tribes Chair Hazen Shopbell said the tribe has spent five years building infrastructure on the property.
"This is something that will be a huge economic boost for, not just Quil Ceda Village, but our tribe and surrounding communities," Shopbell told The Herald.
BlackSun is the second publicly known bidder for the Seattle franchise. It faces One Roof Sports and Entertainment, led by Samantha Holloway, which owns the Seattle Kraken and holds a stake in Climate Pledge Arena. The Athletic reported Friday, Sept. 4 that One Roof remains the front-runner.
Nick Rathod, BlackSun's chief global strategy and communications officer, confirmed to The Athletic that BlackSun and the Tulalip Tribes are "100 percent partnering" on the arena and entertainment district. Under the proposal, the team would initially play at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle while the Tulalip complex is built, according to the Spokesman-Review, citing Seattle Times reporting.
BlackSun is exploring a community ownership model similar to the Green Bay Packers, where fans hold a stake.
Rathod acknowledged the commute challenge for Seattle-area fans traveling to the reservation. Transportation "would have to be a central component of the project from the beginning," he said.
Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring said the bid could open the door for infrastructure partnerships between the city and the tribe. Nehring called himself a lifelong Sonics fan and said having the team "right next door at Tulalip would be awesome."
The NBA Board of Governors has a meeting scheduled in September 2026, and Commissioner Adam Silver has said the league hopes to decide on expansion by the end of the year. The league is expected to choose a Las Vegas owner first before turning to Seattle, according to The Athletic. The SuperSonics left Seattle in 2008 when the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City.
Shopbell put the Tulalip group's odds at 50-50.
