NBA champion Antonio Daniels: Seattle needs Sonics back

NBA Champion Antonio Daniels has called games from the broadcast booth, debated the league on national radio and spent 14 seasons playing in the NBA.

On the question of whether the Seattle Supersonics should come back, though, he doesn’t need to break down the film.

“I would love to have this conversation and take the ‘potentially’ part out,” Daniels said. “I would love that.”

The former Sonics guard, now a New Orleans Pelicans color analyst and SiriusXM NBA Radio host, spoke with Lindy’s Sports about Seattle’s push for an NBA team, the Seahawks’ championship and the schedule that fills his days.

Former Sonic makes case for Seattle

Daniels played two seasons in Seattle, from 2003 to 2005, during a career that started when the Vancouver Grizzlies drafted him fourth overall in 1997 and included a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. He has played and worked in plenty of NBA markets, and he still puts Seattle near the top.

“That is a city that needs an NBA team,” Daniels said. “No disrespect to Vegas — more power to them. They have the Aces, the NFL and hockey. That’s great. But Seattle is a great sports town. They need the Sonics back.”

His timing lines up with the league’s. In March, the NBA Board of Governors voted to formally explore expansion, with Seattle and Las Vegas named as the leading candidates. Commissioner Adam Silver has said the league could add two teams, one or none, and has pointed to the 2028–29 season as the earliest a new team would take the floor.

For Seattle fans, the wait has lasted since 2008, when the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. Daniels’ message is simple: the market never stopped deserving a team.

Cheering for Seahawks from afar

Seattle already has a champion. The Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29–13 in Super Bowl LX in February, the second Super Bowl title in franchise history. Daniels admits football isn’t his first love, but his loyalty to the city carries over.

“Well, I’m not the biggest NFL fan, but again, that’s a fan base I fell in love with when I was there in Seattle,” he said. “So anything good that happens for that sports town, I’m all on board for. I love the city of Seattle. Loved it there.”