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One of the big topics in NBA circles over the last couple of years has been the prospect of the league expanding by adding more teams. Folks in Seattle and Las Vegas have long been clamoring to get an NBA team of their own to root for, and the current depth of talent in the league may make a dilution not the worst thing in the world.
Recently, John Hollinger of The Athletic reported on the state of the expansion talks, and why they have stalled a bit in recent weeks.
“You can’t un-expand. That, in part, helps explain why the league is slow-rolling the concept and forming review committees,” noted Hollinger.
He also cited the report of a “plugged-in spy,” who said that “They want to get to (expand), yes,” but that there was no urgency on the matter.
“The league can always sell buyers on a team in Seattle later, but whenever it does, it needs to make sure it’s a win beyond the initial windfall of an expansion fee,” added Hollinger. “In particular, figuring out the imploding local TV landscape is critical, given that two new teams would just dilute the league’s national TV contract for the other 30 owners.”
Will the NBA expand?
NBA fans and owners alike have been preparing for the possibility of an expansion team, or multiple, for quite some time now. LeBron James has publicly expressed interest in having an ownership stake in a potential Las Vegas expansion team, and fans in the Seattle area are likely hungrier than ever to get their team back after recently watching the Oklahoma City Thunder hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
The fact that there are so many star-level talents in the NBA currently, with more on the way with this year's and next year's drafts, may make an expansion more sensible than ever, even if it will make it that much more challenging for teams to win the whole thing.
“The long-term expectation from most people I’ve talked to is that it still happens … eventually,” reported Hollinger.
Meanwhile, the NBA is set to release its schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season in October.
