Sorry, Seattle. Apologies to Las Vegas, too. Maybe even Kansas City deserves some sympathy.
On Thursday, during his annual press conference ahead of the NBA Finals, commissioner Adam Silver was asked about any plans expansion in Canada. Instead of answering the question with sole regard to an additional team playing north of the border, Silver talked about expansion at large.
“My answer is the same as it has been for other U.S. cities: we’re just not in expansion mode,” he said, per Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
The commissioner also said that though the league indeed plans to take another look at expansion in the future, there is no timeline for that consideration.
The NBA's most recent expansion team is the Charlotte Bobcats, who were founded in 2004 and have since assumed the moniker of Charlotte Hornets. The original Hornets, part of expansion in 1988, relocated to New Orleans in 2002 and became the New Orleans Pelicans. The Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies both had their inaugural seasons in 1995, with the latter moving to Memphis in 2001.
Calls for expansion have increased over the years since the Seattle Supersonics left the pacific northwest in 2009 and became the Oklahoma City Thunder. Some Seattle lawmakers have continued fighting for a new team in the interim, and Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant, the only active player to ever wear a Sonics jersey, recently called for Seattle to get another team.
Seattle and Las Vegas are generally considered the league's most likely expansion destinations, with Vancouver, Kansas City, and even Mexico City frequently offered as other alternatives.
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