The NBA has apparently taken a significant step towards a potential league expansion.
On Wednesday, the Board of Governors voted in an initial ballot to proceed with plans to expand the North American professional basketball league from 30 to 32 teams.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated: «Today’s vote reflects our board’s interest in exploring a potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle – two markets with a long tradition of supporting NBA basketball. We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.»
Following the announced review, a decision will be made on whether new franchises will be admitted. This would require at least 23 votes from the 30 NBA governors. Furthermore, the exact timing of entry for these teams is still open, with the 2028/29 season having been mentioned recently.
Is the NBA coming back to Seattle?
A bidding process for prospective team owners can now commence. Reports suggest an investment sum of seven to ten billion dollars per franchise will be required.
The league’s last expansion occurred in the 2004/05 season when the Charlotte Bobcats (now Charlotte Hornets) joined as the 30th team. Further expansion has been a topic for some time, with Las Vegas and Seattle being the main focus.
The SuperSonics played in Seattle until 2008 before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. Las Vegas has been home to the Golden Knights (NHL) since 2017 and the Raiders (NFL) since 2020.