Is the NBA set to consider expansion? According to commissioner Adam Silver, the league is preparing to take its first formal step in this direction.
During a Board of Governors meeting held in Las Vegas, Silver mentioned that the league’s owners instructed the NBA to carry out a comprehensive analysis of potential expansion options. This examination is a fundamental yet critical item on the list of tasks associated with league expansion and may pave the way for a 31st team.
Silver has previously suggested that expansion could be on the horizon, noting that it wasn’t recently included on the league’s agenda but has become a potential focus now that larger matters—like the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and media rights agreements—have been resolved.
“We are now seriously engaging in this analysis, something we weren’t prepared to do before,” said Silver. “However, at this stage, we are at the very beginning of our analysis; thus, discussing pricing or timing is premature. The situation is genuinely complex.”
The NBA’s finance and strategy committees will lead the analysis, although there is no specified timeline for its completion. This topic may arise when the Board of Governors convenes again, likely in September.
Seattle is considered the leading contender for one of the new teams, but it is expected that other cities, such as Las Vegas, which has recently welcomed NHL and NFL teams, would also be significant contenders. The expansion could help maintain an even number of teams while tapping into new markets. Furthermore, bringing teams to Seattle and Las Vegas could alleviate travel burdens in the Western Conference and right past grievances following the SuperSonics’ relocation to Oklahoma City in 2008.
The last expansion occurred over two decades ago when the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league in the 2004-05 season. While additional teams can dilute the market share of current franchises, new media rights contracts valued at $76 billion present an opportune moment for the NBA to initiate this process.
