Thunder Lock in Future in Oklahoma City Through 2053 With New Lease Agreement

Before the Thunder existed, they were the Seattle SuperSonics for 40 years until 2008, when new ownership relocated and rebranded the team as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fittingly, Kevin Durant (2007) was the last first-round draft pick by the SuperSonics, and Russell Westbrook (2008) was the first draft pick ever by the Thunder.

That duo helped the team to the NBA Finals in 2012, where they lost to the Heat. But the Thunder are having one of the best seasons in NBA history, the NBA expert picks have been on their side all year, and they are just one win away from a championship.

Now, the city got good news announced by Mayor David Holt that the team will be in Oklahoma City for at least the next quarter of a century as the agreement runs through 2053.

A new downtown arena is going to open for business in 2028, and the ownership will face a stiff penalty of up to $1 billion should it move the team out of Oklahoma City before 2053. The lack of funding for a new arena was an argument for relocation in Seattle in the 2000s.

Still, this is crazy to read now, given the fact that the Thunder’s ownership only had to pay a $75 million lawsuit settlement in 2008 when they acted in bad faith by moving the team from Seattle to Oklahoma City, where businessman Clay Bennett is from. Almost like that was the plan all along.

By 2053, will a billion dollars even be worth that much for the uber-rich like the Bennett family? He’s always a villain in Seattle, and for good reason.

I am from Seattle Washington and in 2008 Clay Bennett robbed my city of the Seattle Supersonics. With the help of Howard Schultz and Mayor Nichols they were able to pull off an illegal heist of the a sports team the city was in love with. Although I have no problem with the city…

— Jeff Dye (@JeffDye) June 6, 2025

On the one hand, I’m glad for the OKC fans who seem to genuinely love basketball and their team. But I’m old enough to remember the SuperSonics. The green uniforms and court, Gary Payton, the team the Lakers beat in Ice Cube’s most popular song. Iconic staff and Seattle sports fans deserved better than this.

But it’s all coming up smelling like roses for Oklahoma City right now.

Are the Thunder a Done Deal for the ‘Ship?

It would be the greatest upset in NBA history if the Pacers managed to come back from a 3-2 deficit and topple the Thunder. The NBA betting predictions only gave the Pacers +8000 odds before the playoffs started, and their NBA Finals odds were +500 before Game 1. Still, the Pacers were a quarter away from taking a 3-1 lead in Game 4 before imploding at home.

This Thunder vs. Pacers matchup has been a bit unpredictable so far, but with Tyrese Haliburton nursing a calf strain, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams look to be too much for the Pacers.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is believed to have suffered a strained right calf and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the strain, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/4FTIoB1RVU

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 17, 2025

Still, it wouldn’t be shocking to see this go seven games, and if you’re a basketball fan, especially from Seattle, you should want to see this go the distance with a chance for an all-time upset.

We’ll see if the Curse of the Sonics has any life left to it.

People forget how good the Sonics were in the mid-90s.

93/94: 63-19
94/95: 57-25
95/96: 64-18 (38-3 home)
96/97: 57-25
97/98: 61-21 pic.twitter.com/BLQIKRjoed

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 11, 2020