The NBA is reportedly nearing an expansion announcement, per si.com and Willie Ramirez of the Associated Press. According to the report, the NBA is aiming to announce expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas during the preseason.
There have been rumors for quite some time about NBA expansion in both cities. Both Seattle and Las Vegas have plenty of basketball fans.
Seattle was once home to the Supersonics. They drew plenty of interest and fans were heartbroken to see the team move to Oklahoma City. To make matters worse, the Thunder had exciting young talent in the form of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Seattle now has the Kraken in hockey to go along with the MLB Mariners and NFL Seahawks. But adding the Supersonics would provide NBA fans with no shortage of excitement.
Meanwhile, the NBA Summer League is played in Las Vegas. Vegas has a number of sports fans in general. They already had a WNBA and hockey team prior to the Raiders move to the city. The Oakland Athletics could also follow suit and bring MLB to Las Vegas. But adding an NBA team almost seems necessary at this point. The NBA Summer League has the people in Sin City wanting more from a basketball standpoint.
NBA potential expansion would shift conferences and divisions. The new teams would likely be added to the Western Conference given their geographical placement.
If the NBA does end up making these preseason announcements, they are expected to come at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena in late September/early October and at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in early October.
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