We may be one step closer to having two more teams join the NBA.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver first acknowledged the possibility of expansion in a news conference before the 2020-21 season, and then, a few months ago, said he believes he will have a resolution on the idea at some point in 2026. It seems that the time for a resolution is nearing, and that could very likely lead to two new teams joining the NBA.
Back in December, Silver said, “I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities. Obviously, we had a team in Seattle that had great success. We have a WNBA team here in Las Vegas, the Aces. We’ve been playing the summer league here for 20 years. We’re playing our Cup games here, so we’re very familiar with this market. I don’t have any doubt that Las Vegas, despite all of the other major league teams that are here now, the other entertainment properties, that this city could support an NBA team.”
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The issues holding up the vote on expansion were purely financial.
“As I’ve said before, domestic expansion, as opposed to doing a new league in Europe, is selling equity in this current league,” said Silver in that same interview back in December. “If you own 1/30 of this league, now you own 1/32 if you add two teams. So it’s a much more difficult economic analysis. In many ways, it requires predicting the future. I think now we’re in the process of working with our teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them, and then sometime in 2026 we’ll make a determination.”
It seems the economic questions may have been answered on the league side, with the Dallas News reporting that the NBA Board of Governors is likely to vote this summer to expand by two teams. The idea that Seattle is a favorite for one of those spots was only furthered by news that Seattle Governor Bob Ferguson met with Silver earlier in February.
The governor’s office confirmed afterwards that the meeting was indeed about bringing the Sonics back to Seattle. The governor’s office also mentioned that the meeting was an introductory Zoom call between Ferguson and Silver, and that the two of them had a good conversation. Ferguson confirmed that he would do whatever he could to help bring an NBA team back to Seattle.
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If Seattle is chosen, it would be the first time the city has had an NBA team in nearly 20 years. The Sonics were moved to Oklahoma City after the 2007-2008 season and renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder. Seattle’s continued absence from the NBA has led to plenty of protests from fans, demanding a return of an NBA franchise to their city. In addition to their NBA legacy, Seattle is a strong choice for an NBA franchise based on the city’s overall strong income, steady population growth, and ready-to-go fanbase. All of that means Seattle feels inevitable to get its team back.
While Las Vegas may not be the obvious choice as the second city, it makes sense as a selection based on the NBA’s current relationship. Las Vegas has an existing relationship with the league, hosting the Summer League and NBA Cup games. There is also media appeal to Las Vegas and some momentum building as a sports city, with the MLB also reportedly moving the Athletics there. Those factors could help make up for the fact that Las Vegas has a few other franchises nearby and has some economic volatility as well.
If the NBA does vote to expand, that would leave the league with 32 teams, and, perhaps more importantly, two more teams in the Western Conference (if it is Seattle and Las Vegas). That would mean that at least one team would have to move to the Eastern Conference in order for the league to have 16 teams in each conference. Geographically, the teams that make the most sense would be Memphis, Minnesota, or New Orleans.
Those are the other dominoes that would fall, but the first one needs to be knocked over first with the vote. That could come in just a few months.
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