There is no secret that NBA expansion from 30 to 32 teams will be in the cards at some point in the not-so-distant future. It’s also not a surprise that two west-coast cities in that of Las Vegas and Seattle are the favorites.
As the 2023-24 NBA season kicks off Tuesday night, we’re now hearing more on potential expansion. It might happen sooner rather than later.
According to David Rumsey of Front Office Sports, the Association is eyeing expansion once the current media rights deal comes to an end. That will be as soon as midway through next year.
It was just back in June that deputy commissioner Mark Tatum talked about the potential of expansion to 32 teams.
“Right now expansion is not at the top of our list. The next big thing on our agenda is getting through the national media rights deal. We’ve got two years left on that. So we won’t really focus on expansion until that point. At that point I think we’ll do an assessment of whether it not it makes sense. The amount of talent in our league is incredible,’ Tatum said. “We really do have 450 of the best players in the world. There is certainly enough talent to go around, but it’s not a priority right now. We have to go through an extensive analysis looking for places that have the right facilities.”
This fits in line with the aforementioned report when it comes to timing. Announcing expansion and actually seeing an expansion team take to the court are two different things. It’s a major process.
Looking at the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights were approved as an expansion team in June of 2016. They didn’t take to the ice until October of the following year after having to pass through several bells and whistles.
NBA expansion to Las Vegas
This seems rather obvious with the success that the aforementioned Knights as well as the WNBA’s Aces have enjoyed in Las Vegas. Despite their struggles on the field, the NFL’s Raiders have seen Allegiant Stadium become a major attraction since they relocated from Northern California.
Meanwhile, MLB’s Oakland Athletics are in the process of relocating to Southern Nevada and building a stadium right on the Vegas strip.
Interestingly enough, any NBA expansion team likely wouldn’t be play at T-Mobile Arena, the home of the Knights. Rather, Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke has budgeted $10 billion for an entertainment district that would include an arena to host a basketball team.
The cost of an expansion fee is said to be roughly $4 billion. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is among those interested in getting in on the Vegas fun.
Related: 2023-24 NBA Playoff and Finals predictions
NBA expansion to Seattle
This also makes a ton of sense. Since the Seattle Sonics relocated from the Pacific Northwest and rebranded as the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, there has been a major push to get another professional basketball team in the city.
That relocation came after then-owner Howard Schultz sold the team to Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett. It didn’t sit well within Association circles.
Climate Pledge Arena, the home of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, could act as a venue for an unnamed NBA expansion team. Seattle has the market and interest in professional sports to make it work.