Landon Buford
During a segment on NBA TV ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Commissioner Adam Silver hinted at the possibility of NBA expansion to cities like Seattle and Las Vegas. While he didn’t provide any specific details or timelines, Silver acknowledged the interest from various cities and expressed that expansion could be a logical step for a successful and growing league.
“One we want to get our collective bargaining agreement done,” said Silver.
“So we done that now, and the other thing is to understand our new media packages, which will be done next spring. Once that’s down will turn to expansion. We don’t have anything specific in mind right now, but it makes sense overtime.”
Although expansion is not an immediate priority, the NBA has already checked off one important requirement with the new collective bargaining agreement in place. Silver stated that discussions about expansion would likely take place after securing the league’s new media rights, with negotiations expected to commence the following spring.
Speculation about a potential Seattle and Las Vegas expansion had been circulating since before the 2022-23 season. Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed last October that the NBA was seriously considering adding teams, with Seattle and Las Vegas emerging as front-runners. Seattle, a city that lost the SuperSonics in 2008, has been starved for professional basketball, making it an obvious choice for expansion. Meanwhile, Las Vegas has experienced a surge in popularity with the NHL’s Golden Knights and has been in talks for an MLB team, with rumors of the Oakland A’s potentially relocating.
While NBA expansion remains on the backburner for now, the Commissioner’s acknowledgment and the ongoing discussions indicate that the league is open to growing its reach and bringing basketball to new markets in the future.
