The NBA Board of Governors has approved a vote to begin exploring the possibility of adding two new expansion franchises exclusively to the Las Vegas and Seattle markets, first reported by ESPN.
As a result of approving this vote, the bidding process to start expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle will officially begin, and it is expected to generate offers in the $7 billion to $10 billion range for each new franchise.
This process will involve the NBA engaging with investment bank PJT Partners as a strategic advisor to evaluate prospective markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure, and the broader economic implications of expansion.
“Today's vote reflects our Board's interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle — two market with a long history of support for NBA basketball,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in the league's press release. “We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”
The idea of the NBA expanding is no longer a thought, as the board has officially started the process of having a 32-team league, with high-ranking officials telling ESPN it is a matter of “when, not if.”
At this time, there is no timeframe for when potential expansion bids will be evaluated or accepted, but this process is expected to move quickly with the amount of interest these markets have drawn for NBA expansion.
There had been growing momentum among members of the NBA's board, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, and members of the league office to approve this notion of expansion, specifically with the revenue new teams in Las Vegas and Seattle could generate.
A potential final vote for expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle will be held later this year, which would officially take the league from 30 to 32 teams.
Should a bid be made and accepted in Seattle, the NBA would welcome the return of the Seattle SuperSonics, who were disbanded upon the franchise relocating to Oklahoma and becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder.
If the SuperSonics were to return, all of their records and team history would be handed over to them by the Thunder, who already do not recognize the past team's success as their own.
Along with Seattle, Las Vegas has long been viewed as the next stomping grounds for a new NBA franchise, especially considering how long the league has been doing business with the city.
Not only has the NBA Summer League been in Las Vegas during the offseason since 2004, but the NBA Cup has held its semifinal and final rounds in Las Vegas since it began in 2023.
The WNBA relocated its San Antonio franchise to Las Vegas in 2018, becoming the Las Vegas Aces, and the NHL established the Las Vegas Knights as an expansion team in 2016.
The MLB also officially announced the relocation of the Oakland Athletics to Las Vegas in 2023, and they are building a new $2 billion stadium that is expected to be ready for the 2028 season.
With the NBA officially taking the next step to add two new franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas, the conversation now shifts to which current Western Conference franchise will make the move to the Eastern Conference to balance the league at 16 teams per conference.
It is expected that either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies will be moved to the East, with the Timberwolves viewed as the likely favorite in this scenario.
