The NBA is almost certainly headed to Seattle, Washington, and to Las Vegas, Nevada. The NBA owners voted unanimously to pursue league expansion to 32 teams, and Seattle and Las Vegas are almost certainly going to be the cities that get new teams. These two cities make a lot of sense for expansion franchises.
Seattle is a historic basketball city that had a franchise, the SuperSonics, from 1967 through 2008. That is when they relocated to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder. Las Vegas, meanwhile, has become a hotspot for professional sports in recent years. The NFL's Raiders recently moved to Las Vegas, and the NHL and WNBA added teams recently to the city in the form of the Golden Knights and the Aces. MLB's Athletics are the next team in line to move to the city, too, so it makes tons of sense to get a basketball team in the Las Vegas market.
The last NBA expansion was in 2004, and with Seattle and Las Vegas teams expected to join the NBA for the 2028-29 season, this has been by far the longest gap in between adding teams to the league. These two cities do make the most sense for an NBA team, but what other cities deserve consideration for an expansion team?
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The SuperSonics had a long and storied history in Seattle before their relocation to Oklahoma City. Ultimately, the relocation happened after ownership of the team switched hands, and the needed funding for a new stadium in Seattle wasn't found. The move was sad for the entire league, and all basketball fans have long thought that Seattle should once again secure a team.
Those wishes seem to be coming true, but the return of the SuperSonics opens the door for other cities that once had an NBA team to again have professional basketball. The Grizzlies, for example, played in Vancouver from 1995 to 2001 before moving to Memphis. The move to Memphis occurred because of financial losses and low attendance rates. At first glance, that could scare the NBA off from returning to Vancouver, especially because the Grizzlies only lasted six seasons in the Canadian city.
However, basketball is a lot bigger now than it was in the late '90s/ early 2000s, especially at the international level. Basketball has truly become a global sport, and getting more representation outside of the United States makes sense, especially if it could be done without creating the logistical nightmares that would come with putting a team overseas. Canadian basketball, in particular, has really blown up since Vancouver lost their NBA team.
Team Canada is a force in FIBA play and at the Olympics. Some of the best players currently in the NBA are Canadian. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is likely to win his second straight MVP this season, and Jamal Murray has established himself as one of the best players in the league this year. Andrew Wiggins is a former number one overall pick, and Dillon Brooks and Lu Dort are known as two of the best villains and defensive players in the league. All of those players are Canadian and have helped popularize the sport in their home country. If Vancouver were given a second chance, the city's citizens would certainly make the most of it.
Mexico City, Mexico
If the NBA was scared of another Vancouver failure, or if they viewed one Canadian team (Toronto Raptors) as enough, then perhaps the league would head to the border down south instead. Mexico City is not only the biggest city in Mexico, but it is one of the most populous cities in the world.
The city already has the Mexico City Capitanes of the G-League. The developmental team has served as a test to see if basketball in Mexico City will be viable going forward, and so far, everything points to the presence of basketball in Mexico City being a success. Mexico City could very well be rewarded with an upgrade to NBA basketball in the future.
The NBA has already played global games in the city before, too. The league has played 17 preseason games in Mexico City, dating back to 1992, as well as 15 regular seasons there. Most recently, the Detroit Pistons took on the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 1, 2025, and a 2026 matchup is slated to take place there again, too.
Louisville, Kentucky
New York is considered the mecca for basketball, but Kentucky is certainly one of the states where basketball is life. The college basketball scene in Kentucky is prestigious, as fans are passionate and success is paramount. Look no further than the basketball programs of the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville to see this.
The state of Kentucky has enough basketball obsession to not only root for their favorite college programs, but to be diehards for an NBA team, too. Kentucky and Louisville games always sell out, and TV viewership numbers are always high. That likely wouldn't change for an NBA team in the state.
Louisville is the largest city according to population in Kentucky by nearly double over Lexington, so it would make the most sense as an NBA destination in the state.
Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas
When looking at a map of NBA teams, there are two geographical areas that stand out for not having an NBA team in a huge area of land. Without a team in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas, the Northwest has a large area of land in which fans don't have a hometown team to root for. That problem just may be getting fixed by putting a team in Seattle, though.
The other spot with too much land in comparison to NBA team proximity is the southern part of the Midwest, as Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri are all without an NBA team. Of those places, Kansas City makes the most sense to add a team. For starters, Kansas City emcompasses both the states of Kansas and Missouri. Furthermore, the city already has knowledge of how to find success in professional sports.
The Kansas City Chiefs, for example, are in the midst of a dynasty and have been the NFL's best team over the last half-decade-plus. Furthermore, the Kings played in Kansas City before relocating to Sacramento in 1985.
Raleigh, North Carolina
As established as Kentucky is as a college basketball state, it has nothing on the triangle in North Carolina. Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham are all just miles apart and all host NC State, UNC, and Duke. Those are three college basketball powerhouses that all have iconic rivalries.
By putting a professional team in this area, the NBA could create an intra-state rivalry just as iconic, as the Hornets play just down the road in Charlotte. A team in Raleigh, which is the capital of North Carolina, would likely have plenty of chances to draft hometown favorites from any of the schools in the surrounding area, too.
