Seattle Supersonics fans may not like this update from NBA commissioner Adam Silver about a possible expansion. After a latest NBA board of governors meeting, Silver said that they haven't talked about expansion, and they haven't formed a committee to examine the move, either, but Silver added that the league might address this scenario later in the 2024-2025 season.
“It gets a bit complicated in terms of selling equity to the league,” the commissioner said, via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “What that means for the existing television relationships, etc. What we've told interested parties is, ‘Thank you for your interest,' we'll be back to you.”
Adam Silver reports
After the NBA board meeting, Adam Silver also updated the media about the league's readiness to undertake the expansion process.
“There was not a lot of discussion in this meeting about expansion, but only largely not for lack of interest, it was that we had said to them that we're not quite ready,” the commissioner said, via Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com.
In recent years, rumors of an expansion involved Las Vegas and Seattle as potential landing spots for new teams. Moreover, fans in Seattle are looking forward to this expansion because it means they'll have a team again, after the Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City for the 2008-2009 season.
However, the commissioner stressed that the league was not in a hurry to expand, and that it was the last thing on their priorities. First, they had to address the new collective bargaining agreement with the players' union and then secure its new television deal. Only then will they consider expansion.
In 2023, the NBA has agreed to a new CBA. Likewise, the league came to a tentative agreement with Disney, Amazon, and Comcast on a new television deal, though TNT filed suit to stop it. For one thing, the Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA might have to end if TNT doesn't land a media rights deal with the NBA.
New teams
What does expansion look like? First, Adam Silver will convene a board of NBA team owners to begin exploratory talks on the subject and agree on possible next steps. It's not like Silver can just wave his hands and two new teams will appear on the board.
In this case, Isaiah Thomas' dream of joining the Supersonics' coaching staff or front office might have to wait. At this stage, nobody knows how long they'll have to wait, but they'll have to do so if they want new teams to root for.
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