The NBA currently has 30 franchises and the idea of NBA expansion has not seemed likely any time soon. Well, things changed in a major way this week when Commissioner Adam Silver revealed that the league could soon look at the idea of adding new teams soon.
“It’s not preordained that we will expand this time, but I know there’s an enormous amount of interest out there,” Silver said at his State of the NBA press conference before Game 1 of the finals.
If NBA expansion does come sooner rather than later, here are 10 cities that would be front runners to get the next franchise.
Seattle, Washington
When the Supersonics left Seattle in 2009, it was a heartbreaking moment for the city and one of the most shocking in the NBA during the 21st century. There have been rumblings in the years since that the league could eventually return to the great Northwest. If the league did seriously consider a new franchise, Seattle would be a favorite to land that team.
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Las Vegas, Nevada
After resistance for decades, Las Vegas has become a popular destination for sports franchises. The Raiders left Oakland for Sin City. The Athletics are set to relocate there in 2028, and the Aces have put Las Vegas on the map as a top basketball city in the WNBA. There have been rumblings for the last year that the entertainment capital of the world could get an NBA team, and even Lebron James has suggested being a part of that ownership group.
Columbus, Ohio
While most sports fans know Cleveland and Cincinnati as prominent cities in Ohio, Columbus has quickly become not just the fastest-growing city in the state, but one of the most populated in the country. They have a deep sports history with Ohio State being located there, and MLS and the NHL have already planted their flag in Columbus. Why not the NBA next?
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Nashville, Tennessee
Music City is a popular tourist destination and Nashville already has notable franchises in the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. Over the last 40 years, the NBA has seemingly pushed to make more franchises in southern states and there is no better option than the home of country music.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis has a lengthy sports history because of the Cardinals, however, the shocking and impressive fandom of the St. Louis Battlehawks UFL franchise shows the city still craves high-level football. While the NFL is unlikely to bring football back to St. Louis after the Rams skipped town for Los Angeles in 2016, getting an NBA franchise could be a great consolation prize.
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San Diego, California
San Diego is one of the most populated cities in the United States, yet after the Chargers left for Los Angeles in 2017, the city was left just with one major sports franchise, the Padres. San Diego is a beautiful city and makes a lot of sense for the site of a new NBA franchise. Who wouldn’t want an All-Star weekend or the finals of the NBA Play-In tourney in the home of Ron Burgundy?
Tijuana, Mexico
If the NBA is unsure about taking its expansion plans to San Diego, furthering their international strategy and placing a team in a major foreign city not far from San Diego would make sense. The league has been trying to make inroads into Mexico in recent years so a team in the popular border town would check off a lot of boxes and make sense for the NBA logistically. Plus, as seen in recent WBC’s Mexico has a sizable baseball fanbase the league can mine.
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Bridgeport, Connecticut
Connecticut has a rich basketball legacy due to the impressive success of the Connecticut Huskies basketball program. The state has a history with pro sports franchises but only has the WNBA’s Suns currently. Expanding that basketball connection with an NBA team in the state’s most populated city, Bridgeport, could be a good fit for Connecticut and the league.
Virginia Beach, Virginia
It is surprising that while Virginia has many college sports teams, the state never seems to have a professional sports franchise. This may be the perfect time to end that odd streak, and the NBA bringing a team to Virginia Beach would be an unexpected but logical direction to go with a new franchise.
Louisville, Kentucky
Kentucky has a strong basketball history due to the legendary Kentucky Wildcats program. However, fans in Louisville, the most populated city in the state, will never root for the Wildcats and vice versa. However, an NBA team in Louisville that represents all of Kentucky could be an interesting way to unite those rival fanbases.